


Double Life

by Eve_Iyapo



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Serial Killers, Blood and Torture, Dubious Consent, M/M, Moral Ambiguity, Rape, Sexual Content, Threesome - F/M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-09
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 11:01:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 44
Words: 72,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2426354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eve_Iyapo/pseuds/Eve_Iyapo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Damien Sandow has a frightening secret need that he must fulfill. He wants nothing more than to share the deepest, darkest part of himself with someone else, and that person is Cody Rhodes. This story is highly violent containing strong language, torture and disturbing imagery. I own original characters only, Sandow and Rhodes belong to the WWE.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Frustration

**Author's Note:**

> Transferred from my FFN page (and at some point I'll probably transfer all of my fics).  
> This was written during the height of Team Rhodes Scholars popularity.  
> Of all the fics I've written, this one is probably my favorite.  
> I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

Damien Sandow sighed as he laced up his boots, preparing to head to the ring for his match against Kofi Kingston. He was frustrated in a way that wrestling wouldn't fix. Wrestling could take the edge off of anger or even a little sexual frustration in the same way that any physical exertion could, but it did nothing for his very particular affliction. The darkness in his head, heart and soul called for something else. His Shadow. It was always with him, always ready to pull him to the brink of the abyss if he didn't curtail the urges. It had been over two months since the last one and the anticipation and anxiety was getting to him. If he didn't start a hunt soon, he'd slip and make a mistake. He'd end up in prison, awaiting the lethal injection.

_"No sense worrying about it right now," he thought, standing to pace and mentally prepare himself for the match ahead. "Hopefully, I'll have to time for it tonight. I don't know that I can last another week."_

Right at that moment Cody Rhodes walked in, still in his wrestling attire, but since his match was over, about to head to the showers. Their eyes met briefly and Cody nodded politely in acknowledgment of Sandow before heading towards the lockers.

Again Damien sighed rather petulantly. He was interested in Cody Rhodes. Something stood out about the young talent and he figured they probably had a lot in common. Unfortunately, Cody didn't seem the least bit interested in becoming Sandow's friend and he found that utterly frustrating. But Damien was persistent and could be patient if the situation called for it. He knew that there was something lurking underneath Cody's fresh face cheerfully innocent façade. Something dark was hidden there and it was calling to him.

 


	2. Fire Quenched

It was three in the morning and Sandow was amazingly alert and clear headed. This particular city they were in was one he knew very well and that worked out to his advantage tonight. He whistled a nonsense tune as he traveled the graveled roads in his rented Jeep. Eventually he came to an abandoned warehouse that used to be part of an iron smelting factory. The entire area was completely deserted and suited tonight's purpose.

Still, ever careful, Damien parked in the back of the building out of view of the road. He'd already been out here once during the early evening hours so everything was already set up. Grinning rather dementedly, he walked to the back and opened the rear door of the Jeep.

He stared down at the unconscious young prostitute with a small secret smile. He'd picked her up on the corner of a known drug area with talks of a $20 blowjob. The second she entered the car however, Damien had grabbed her around the throat. She had struggled but slipped into unconsciousness in a matter of moments. Still smiling, Damien picked the young woman up effortlessly, slung her over his shoulder and headed inside the warehouse.

He took her down a flight of stairs to what seemed to be a basement and laid her down on an old conveyor belt. The conveyor belt he had wrapped in saran wrap earlier that night. He turned on a generator off to the side and suddenly the entire basement was bathed in light. Flood lamps covered every corner and stood over the conveyor belt.

The young woman moaned and shifted a bit. Concerned that she might come to, before he had a chance to prep her, prompted Damien to move quickly. Soon her wrists were bound in duct tape above her head and around the conveyor belt. Then he gave her feet the same treatment. He left her middle free because he liked to watch his victims struggle and squirm.

Damien moved a small table over to the conveyor belt and unwrapped his tools for tonight's activities. Then he put on medical grade latex gloves and a thick apron on over his clothes and lastly turned on a small portable cd player with his cd of choice. Beethoven's 5th Symphony. The prostitute literally opened her eyes during the first measure of music.

"Ugh," she moaned. "What's going on?" Immediately she realized her hands and feet were bound and Damien watched as her blue eyes slowly filled with panic. She tried in vain to pull her hands free, twisting her body to hopefully pop loose and fall to the floor. Damien had her secured however and she only succeeded in tiring herself out.

Amused, Damien stood off to the side watching her. When she finally gave up on trying to free herself he made his presence known.

"Glad to see you're finally awake," he said with a grin. "Now let's get this straight right now. I don't care who you are or what you do for a living. I could care less if you have a husband, children or a dog. You, my dear, were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Damien moved towards her, holding his opening tool, a small, dull pocket knife.

The prostitute's face drained of color before she screamed. "Please! Please don't kill me! I swear if you let me go, I won't tell anyone about this! I promise! Please! Please don't kill me!"

Damien closed his eyes, relishing her pleas. It was quite literally music to his ears. He waved his hand holding the knife in the air as if he were conducting his own personal orchestra.

"Don't worry," he told the young woman who was crying hysterically now. "It's been a long time for me and I don't know how long I'll be able to restrain myself. Now why don't you relax and listen to the intellectual, talented Beethoven and this will be over before you know it."

The woman stared at Damien as if he were some horrible alien being before letting out a blood curdling scream. Her mouth opened so wide and so temptingly that before he gave it a second thought, he'd cut out her tongue. The blood flowed so magnificently that Damien paused in his actions before realizing she was in danger of choking on the blood. He turned her head to the side and watched with reverence as it left her mouth in rivulets, soaking the saran wrap beneath her. Amazingly she was still conscious but was unable to scream around the blood filling her mouth. She coughed and gagged and coughed more, praying that she would pass out soon. As the darkness started to creep in she heard him say,

"Now isn't that better? Surely you can appreciate Beethoven's mastery more now that you can hear it," Damien said. Then in a near whisper he leaned close to her ear and added, "You're welcome."

 


	3. Apprehension, Then, Acceptance

Cody Rhodes left the creative team meeting with several emotions warring inside of him. When they first told him that he was to be paired with Damien Sandow in a tag team he first felt worried. Something about Sandow troubled him. At times when he thought no one was looking, Damien would be lost in thought but the look on his face was so intense that it was scary. Sure there were a lot of intense guys in the company, CM Punk, John Cena, David Otunga, Sheamus and Randy Orton to name a few. But it was different somehow. Those other wrestlers were intense about the job at hand, about entertaining their fans. Sandow almost seemed jovial went it was time to go to work. Something else in his life caused that strange look on his face.

Then Cody remembered the look Sandow gave him during the meeting. Whenever his eyes were trained on Cody it was always the same look, pointed and questioning. It scared him in a way. Sandow was searching for something in him and Cody was afraid that he may have found it.

The two had agreed to meet at the hotel bar later on that night to discuss the particulars of their partnership. Always punctual, Cody arrived early. He sat on the end nearest the flatscreen and nursed a beer while he waited for Damien to show. Ten minutes later he was joined on the stool next to him by his new tag team partner. Sandow ordered a beer for himself and for a time the two sat in an oddly comfortable silence, drinking their beers and watching the local news. When a breaking news bulletin appeared on screen Damien just happened to glance over at Cody whose eyes were glued to the tv. A man had killed his wife, her parents and her sister and the police were trying to figure out motive.

"Man, can you imagine that?" asked Cody. "Killing someone just because? I mean it's crazy, but imagine how freeing that must be? No one can touch you." The last was said with such wonder that Damien had his confirmation. Cody was going to be his partner.

Damien eyed the bartender who was on the opposite end serving drinks before scooting a little closer to Cody. "You're right Cody. It is freeing. You're flying when you watch someone's eyes dim, when you hear their last breath. Nothing can take you higher than taking a life; just… because… you… can..."

Cody turned slowly towards Sandow. He managed to look horrified for all of ten seconds before he burst out laughing. He clapped a hand on Sandow's back his face still full of mirth.

Sandow smiled. "I knew I was right about you Cody."

Cody shook his head still chuckling. "Ditto Damien. When do we start?"

Damien took a long drink of his beer before answering. "Soon."

Before the two left the bar they  _did_  talk about wrestling, how their tag team would work and whether or not they should integrate their catchphrases or not. They agreed to keep it separate but equal and that Damien would remain The Intellectual Savior of the Masses and that Cody would remain Dashing. They would work on tag team moves in the ring at their next town, hopefully before their first dark match.

After two more beers and a plate of nachos they had decided to split, the two men decided to call it an evening and head to their prospective hotel rooms. On the elevator Cody could not stop grinning at Sandow. It was like a weight had been lifted. He and Sandow had more in common than he would have ever guessed before tonight. And although he was a murder virgin, he was confident that Sandow would teach him all he knew.

When the elevator stopped at Cody's floor he hesitated. He was eager to learn more about Sandow and his extracurricular activities. Damien sensed this and patted Cody on the back.

"Don't worry," he said. "I know you're excited but we need to take our time with this. I promise. Just be patient and I'll teach you how to fly."

Cody took a deep breath and exhaled. "Alright man, you're right. Of course you're right! I'll see you tomorrow." With that said, Cody exited the elevator and the freight continued up to the next floor.

Damien grinned at his reflection in the shiny elevator doors. "This is so right. It's going to be perfect. Cody will be perfect."

 


	4. Hunting

It had been a couple of weeks since Team Rhodes Scholars formed and secrets had been revealed between the two. Cody was beyond excited to work with Sandow outside of the ring but their on road schedule was so hectic they hadn't been able to spend much time together. Now there was a break in their travel schedule so after their match against the Prime Time Players the two agreed to meet in Sandow's hotel room to discuss the particulars of their Shadow partnership.

Around 11pm Cody showed up at Sandow's hotel room. He was fresh from the shower and clad in basketball shorts and a t-shirt. Cody raised his hand up to knock and hesitated, suddenly nervous.

_"This is it," he thought. "After tonight there's no going back. We're really going to do this, we're really going to become a_ killer _team."_

The last thought made him chuckle and he finally knocked on the door. A moment later Sandow opened the door and ushered his new partner inside. Cody was amazed at how clean Sandow's room was. He'd been to other fellow wrestler's hotel rooms before and because of the hectic schedules their rooms were usually pretty messy. Heath Slater's in particular always looked as if a hurricane had struck it. Sandow's however, was immaculate. There wasn't an article of clothing to be seen, the bed was made and not one hotel amenity was out of place.

Cody looked around in awe, before his gaze settled on Sandow himself. Sandow was wearing black silk pajama bottoms and no shirt. On his feet he wore an expensive looking pair of royal blue slippers and his hair was pulled back with a black band.

Sandow had remained silent while Cody made his observations. In that time he observed Cody himself, amused at his anxious shifting. When their eyes met again Sandow gestured outward.

"Please have a seat Cody."

Cody looked around for a quick second before deciding to sit in the chair nearest the window.

Sandow gave the barest hint of a smile. Cody was trying to respect his space and chose the chair instead of the bed. Like a good pupil. So far, Sandow was pleased with the way things were going.

Sandow stood in front of the tv, regarding Cody silently for a moment. When he finally did speak it startled the younger man.

"I kill people Cody. I do it because I like to do it and because I have to do it. I call the urge my Shadow because it's always behind me, this darkness will always be a part of me. There's nothing I can do about it and though it took years of denial, I found a way to accept it and embrace it," Sandow paused as he took in Cody's expression. So far he found no contempt, just genuine interest.

"But as the years go on I've found that my Shadow isn't completely satisfied with my murderous extracurricular activities. I realized one day that I wanted someone to share my experiences, someone to partner with, someone who could find the beauty in taking a person's life just as I do," Sandow rubbed his beard thoughtfully before turning his attention back to Cody. "That's when I realized that you were the one for me. Cody, I've been watching you for longer than you probably realize and I was drawn to you for some inexplicable reason. I just knew it had to happen. And I'm glad that you did as well."

Cody smiled and it was beatific. "Honestly Sandow, I couldn't quite figure out why you were always staring at me. For a while I thought it was because you were gay," Cody stopped abruptly, his eyes wide. "Nnnot that there's anything wrong with that," he amended quickly.

Sandow raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips. Cody took that as a sign that he wasn't offended and continued. "But then I saw something in you too. It was dark and it was kind of scary but it was also intriguing. That's why I agreed to the creative teams' partnership for us. I was hoping I'd get to find out more about you. I'm glad I did. I'm glad you chose me for this partnership Damien. I haven't really been satisfied with my life lately and I feel this will give me a much needed release."

Sandow nodded. "You're right about that. The problem is Cody, is that once you start, you can't stop. It because addictive and even if that's not the case for you, I won't allow you to quit. So you have to decide if you're going to be with me on this for the long haul. I'll give you a few days to experience this with me and afterwards time to really think it over and you can let me know then, agreed."

"Agreed."

Sandow took a deep breath, his hand going back up to his beard briefly. "Since we have a few days off, I plan to go on a hunt tomorrow. This is one of the cities that I do frequent kills in so I have a few places ready to prep at my disposal. I would like you to come with me. Observe and participate of course."

Cody's heart began racing, due partly to fear and partly to excitement. "Sure thing Damien. What time do you want to meet?"

"Meet me downstairs in the lobby at noon. Wear something inconspicuous; try adding a hat or some sunglasses as well." With that said Sandow headed towards the door and Cody got up to follow him.

"Goodnight Sandow!" said Cody. Sandow merely nodded before closing his door. Cody grinned to himself as he headed back to his own room. He didn't know how he was going to sleep tonight knowing that tomorrow he was going to kill someone for the very first time.

The next morning found Cody up at 10 am. He relished the days he was able to sleep in. And just as he had predicted, he was too excited and wound up to go to sleep right away the night before. It took some really bad soft core cable porn and time with his right hand to take the edge off enough to get some sleep. When he finally got out of bed he ordered room service and took a quick shower while waiting on his breakfast to arrive. By the time he finished dressing and eating it was a quarter to 12 so he hurried downstairs to meet Sandow.

The two men arrived in the lobby at the same time. It looked as Cody had made the right decision regarding his clothes. He saw that Sandow was wearing a dark blue sweater, tan khaki pants and a pair of aviator sunglasses. Cody was happy that he had decided on a long sleeve dark green t-shirt, a pair of dark blue jeans and a pair of black sunglasses.

"Are you ready?" asked Sandow, his double meaning apparent.

Cody nodded silently. He wasn't quite sure, but he'd be dammed if he let Damien know. He followed Damien outside and watched as the man hailed a cab for them. They were dropped off at a rather large shopping mall. They wandered the aisles and stores unnoticed as Sandow searched for the perfect victim for his rookie partner. Although there were times when Sandow lamented his mid-card status at the WWE, when he went on his hunts he found it to be a blessing that he wasn't easily recognized.

_"Boy," he thought as he scanned faces and bodies in the crowds. "I don't know that I could keep doing this if I ever became WWE Champion. There would be way too much risk involved, I would have to give this up…"_  Hurriedly Sandow pushed the troublesome thought away. He'd cross that bridge if and when he came to it.

Eventually the two men sat in the food court munching on Subway sandwiches while they continued to people watch. After they finished eating Sandow's gaze finally settled on a young man working at the Sbarro's across from them. Something about him seemed to aggravate Sandow and he continued to eye the young man, on the fence about making him his new target.

Cody followed Sandow's gaze to the Sbarro employee and grinned. "Is that who we're going to take down tonight?" he asked.

Sandow stared at the man for a few more moments before answering. "Yes. We're going to stay here and watch him for another hour, then we need to go set up. We'll get back here at closing time and catch him in the parking lot."

Cody grinned even more, he was barely able to contain his excitement. At last! He and Sandow were about to be involved in one of the most intimate moments of a person's life; their death.

 


	5. Procedure & Implementation

It was nearly 6 o'clock and the tag team partners had just left a hardware store after purchasing some tools for tonight's activities. Sandow had bought some zip ties, duct tape, two hunting knives, a butterfly knife, four travel lanterns, and a bag to carry it all in. Then they went to an abandoned house in a vacant lot. When they arrived they pulled their cars in around back nearest the entrance to the cellar and took their supplies inside and downstairs.

Sandow looked around pleased that everything was as he left it. He checked inside the small closet where the water heater lay and found that the industrial grade butchers plastic he'd bought for such an occasion was still there. Together he and Cody took out their supplies and began prepping their kill room. They worked quickly and Cody only needed to hear Sandow explain once what they were doing and why before he was able to implement it.

While they worked Cody looked over at Sandow periodically. He couldn't tell if Damien was as excited as he was because he looked so serious.

"Um, Damien?" asked Cody while flattening out a sheet of plastic.

"Yes, Cody?" answered Sandow.

"Do you always use knives to kill people?" Cody was just burning with curiosity, wondering if knives were only the beginning or if there was a world of tools and instruments they would eventually use.

Sandow looked thoughtful before answering. "I didn't always use knives. Sometimes I used whatever the person had on them but that got to be tedious. I even once tried a chainsaw…" Sandow couldn't help but grin at the wide eyed look Cody was giving him. "But as much fun as that was it wasn't really worth it. The huge blood loss caused my victim to bleed out and die much faster than I was ready for."

Sandow shook his head at the memory before continuing. "Not to mention the clean up was a huge hassle and I like to make sure there are no traces of our performance before I leave one of my sites. I didn't finish until 5 am which barely left me enough time to dump the body, get back to the hotel and shower before my flight. I was not my best in the ring the following night as a result. In the end I've decided to stick with knives. The wounds are predictable, yes, but still beautiful and they give you more time with the victim if you alternate between deep and shallow and migrate all over the body."

Cody nodded his head, speechless. He licked his lips as he noticed his breaths coming a little faster. Whether it was due to fear or excitement he couldn't tell. All he knew was that his fabulous work ethic wouldn't allow him to give up on this tonight. He was going to see this through. Sandow believed in him but was giving him the option to back out if Cody realized tonight that this wasn't his thing. He could tell Sandow thought without a doubt that Cody would end up his partner but Cody himself wasn't so sure right now.

At 7:30 they had finished prepping the room and decided to head back to the shopping mall to wait for their victim to appear in the parking lot.

As they waiting in the car Cody grew more and more anxious. Seeing how calm Sandow was did nothing to calm himself down.

"What if he has a ride home and isn't driving himself?" asked Cody while not taking his eyes off the back of the building.

Sandow sighed deeply. "If that's the case we'll abort this particular mission and head to one of my favorite old hunting grounds instead."

"Where is that?" inquired Cody turning to face Sandow.

"Red light district, nearest the water front. Prostitutes are fairly easy prey, but seeing as how my last kill was a prostitute, I'm hoping this prospect works out instead."

At that Cody frowned. "You kill women too?"

Sandow turned his head slowly to look at Cody. The look in his eyes was a bit frightening and Cody shuddered a bit under his gaze. "Yes, I kill men  _and_  women. Women offer a different dynamic to the kill than men do and sometimes they're just what I'm in the mood for. If it makes you feel any better Rhodes, infants, children and teens are safe from me." Sandow's gaze drifted back out to the parking lot, his expression dark. He thought back to the one time he had purposefully hunted and killed a teen. He had found the whole process to be more distasteful than he had anticipated and vowed never to do so again. Adults are where the challenge lies and challenge as well as blood helped to keep his Shadow at bay.

Cody hunched his shoulders a bit as he felt Sandow's disappointment in his question in the way he'd used his last name instead of his first. He certainly didn't want to disappoint his new partner! But finding out that women weren't off limits had been a bit of a shock. Cody didn't have time to dwell on it though as they both saw their prey leaving out of one of the back doors of the mall. He was walking alone to a car maybe 20 feet away from where they were parked.

Sandow opened the door and got out of the car. "When you see me take him down bring the car to us and open the trunk when you stop."

Cody nodded and slid into the driver's seat and watched as Sandow quickly approached the young man. There was a slight scuffle and after a tight arm bar to the throat the young man slipped into unconsciousness. Cody put the car in gear and brought it to Sandow and the fallen man. He got out of the car and helped Sandow put the young man in the trunk. Sandow got into the drivers' side and as soon as Cody shut the passenger side door they headed out to the kill site.

"Uggghh… Oh God…. What happened? Where am I?" The young man from the shopping mall woke to find an intense pain and pressure in his arms and shoulders. The pressure was due to the fact that he was hanging by his wrists from what looked to be a bicycle chain from the ceiling in what appeared to be an old basement. He tried to pull up, testing it, but the zip ties cut further into his wrists making him gasp. His feet were dangling but also tied together with zip ties. More important still was that he was freezing. Why was he so cold? With a start the young man realized that he was also naked.

"Hello?!" he called his voice was thin and breathy with fear. "Can somebody help me? Hello?!"

"Shhhh…" shushed Sandow as he and Cody stepped from the darkness. Sandow continued to walk towards the man while Cody went and turned on the flood lamps and lanterns until the whole basement was bathed in light.

"What? Who are you? Did you do this to me?" asked the man the very beginnings of anger apparent in his voice.

"Who I am is not important," stated Sandow as he regarded the young man carefully. "Where you are isn't important either. What's important is now and what is going to happen to you." As if on cue Cody rolled a small cart with their tools on it into view about 3 feet away from where the young man was hanging.

The young man's eyes darted back and forth between the two men and the knives on display before him. "Look man, you don't have to do this. Let me go, okay? And I promise I won't tell nobody nothing about this. I promise! Please just let me the fuck go!"

His pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears as Sandow merely went over to his cd player in the corner and hit play. The room was suddenly filled with the first measure of Mozart's Requiem. Sandow took a deep breath and grinned at Cody who smiled tentatively back. He picked up the butterfly knife on the cart, flipped it open and handed it to Cody who looked a bit surprised. He gestured towards the young man who had yet to stop begging.

"Cut him," commanded Sandow.

Cody was hesitant. "What do you mean? You just want me to cut him?"

Sandow gave a wry smile. "Yes. This is what I do, this is what we do. Cut him."

Cody walked up to the young man who began to struggle.

"Please man! Don't fucking cut me man! You don't have to fucking do this!" The young man's eyes were wide and filled with fear and unshed tears.

Cody stared down at the knife in his hands in fascination. Slowly he looked up into their prey's eyes and smiled. "Yes… I do." And he reached out and quickly slashed the young man's chest who screamed in pain. It was a diagonal wound that bled immediately. It dripped down the length of his body making satisfying patterns on the plastic below him.

The young man screamed bloody murder the knife wound a burning pain across his chest. Sandow picked up one of the hunting knives and twirled it in his fingers before conducting his invisible orchestra.

"Cut him again!" commanded Sandow as he closed his eyes to relish in both the screams and sounds of Mozart's Requiem. "And this time, don't stop until I say so."

Cody bit his lip trying to hide his eagerness as he slashed at the young man again and again and again. He continued to cut, stab and slash at the young man, blood spraying, dripping and running in a steady stream down the young man's legs. Only when the screams stopped did Sandow order Cody to stop.

Sandow stood next to Cody, his arm across the younger man's shoulders looking thoughtful as they admired Cody's handiwork.

"This is beautiful work Cody," said Sandow. "It almost looks like you were trying to write a letter on his body."

Cody could feel a flush rising to his cheeks at Sandow's compliment. "Thanks Damien. But he's still breathing. What do we do now?"

"Pick up the other hunting knife Cody," said Sandow. "Now stand beside me while holding the knife up to his chest."

Cody did as Sandow asked and waited for further instruction.

Sandow tapped the blade to his knife against the young man's face attempting to bring him back around. The young man's eyes rolled and his head lolled from one side to the next as he fought to stay unconscious. Annoyed Sandow slapped the young man with his blade nearly slicing his ear off in the process. Slowly the young man's eyes began to focus on the two men before him.

"You were so loud earlier," started Sandow. "That you couldn't hear or begin to appreciate the beauty that is Mozart. So I'm going to allow you to hear the dulcet tones of Beethoven before you die."

The young man attempted one final time to appeal to their humanity. "Please…. I don't wanna die."

Cody leaned into the young man before whispering. "Nobody wants to die. But we can't always get what we want, can we?" Cody turned to look at Sandow who winked at him. Sandow positioned his knife against one side of his chest while Cody mimicked him on the other side.

"Now!" yelled Sandow. And they both slide their knives home, deep inside the young man's chest. He didn't even have time to scream before the knives were in and his lungs filled with blood. Both Sandow and Cody gave one final twisting motion with their knives and the young man gurgled as blood spilled out of his mouth.

Sandown glanced at Cody who was watching the blood pool beneath the young man before whispering out loud, "You're welcome." A single tear rolled down the young man's cheek before the light in his eyes dimmed and was gone. Cody and Sandow stared at each other for one long moment before they both laughed. Cody's first kill was over and now all that remained was the clean up.

 


	6. So Close...

As the weeks went on it was obvious to everyone how close Sandow and Cody had gotten. When they weren't wrestling as a team they ate as a team, they conversed as a team, they walked as a team, they hung out and joked with the other guys as a team. They began to do everything together. And it was beginning to grate on someone's nerves.

At a house show in some nameless city, Randy Orton sat on a bench in the cramped locker room, eyes narrowed, listening to that high and mighty asshole Damien Sandow and his former friend Cody Rhodes. They were laughing with and trading punch lines with Titus and D-Young of The Prime Time Players after their tag team match. Randy absolutely couldn't stand how symbiotic Rhodes and Sandow had become. Cody had begun adopting some of Damien's more annoying tendencies, like looking down on others without so much as a head tilt or using intense theatrical hand gestures every time he spoke. Even the way he laughed now was different. It was cultured, with an almost practiced air to it. What in the hell was going on with those two?

"I don't know how much longer King is going to keep rehashing that damn washcloth conversation," rumbled Titus with a roll of his eyes.

D-Young put his hands on his hips and chuckled. "Well it's like the only funny thing he's said in about a decade. Of course he's going to ride it into the ground."

Cody laughed, punctuating each 'ha' in such a way that it made Randy want to punch a wall as he listened.

"Far be it from King to know how to come up with tasteful and funny anecdotes on his own," Sandow added with a smirk.

The four men continued their back and forth for a few minutes more before Titus and D-Young finished dressing and headed out together. Sandow and Cody both finished dressing as well before grabbing their gear. Cody gave a polite nod to Randy whom kept a steady almost glare on the two men as they walked out.

Sandow frowned and once they were out of ear shot, he said, "Do you know what that was about?"

Cody looked confused. "I'm sorry?"

"Randy was staring at us nearly the entire time we were in the locker room," explained Sandow as they reached their shared rental.

Cody shrugged. "That's just Randy, Damien. He's like that sometimes."

The way back to the hotel was mostly ridden in silence. Nowadays the two men would get hotel rooms on the same floor if not next to each other. It made making plans for hunts much easier without the possibility of being sidetracked by any of their coworkers or fans. As they went to enter their respective rooms for the night Cody hesitated outside of Sandow's door. It had been weeks since their first kill together and Cody was anxious, no, eager to kill again. It must have been all over his face because before he could say a word Sandow gave a low chuckle.

"We can go hunting tomorrow Cody. I only have one kill location in this city though so we must be careful. Meet me downstairs in the lobby at noon. Remember to dress inconspicuously as we did last time."

"Okay," responded Cody with an eager nod of his head.

Sandow grinned. "Goodnight Cody."

"Goodnight."

The next morning Cody awoke with a big grin on his face. It had been much too long since their last hunt. And although he could remember every detail of that night like it was yesterday he longed to experience it all again. After he showered and ate breakfast he got dressed and headed downstairs to meet Damien. This time he was dressed in khaki pants, a green long sleeved t-shirt and a ball cap. When he made it to the lobby he saw Damien was waiting for him dressed just as inconspicuously in jeans a short sleeve navy blue polo shirt and dark sunglasses. They smiled at each other and Damien gave a short nod of approval at Cody's attire. They turned and were just about to head out the door when suddenly they heard,

"Sandow! Rhodes! Wait up!"

Both men stiffened noticeably before turning around. With a mischievous smile on his face Randy Orton approached them coming from the hotel bar and restaurant.

"Where are you two headed?" questioned Randy.

Cody looked towards Sandow for direction who answered, "We were just about to go to lunch. It  _is_  noon you know."

Orton looked at both men before saying, "Is that so? Well you both look like amateur detectives for Cheaters or something. Would this lunch you're having happen to be at The Godfather?"

Both men flinched at the name of the popular strip club in the area but stayed silent, letting Randy draw his own conclusions.

Randy stared at them for a moment before nodding. "That's what I thought. Hasn't anyone ever told you gentlemen that you don't go to strip clubs before dark? The hot bitches never make appearances before 10pm."

Once again Cody glanced towards Sandow. Sandow never took his eyes off Orton but could feel Cody's gaze on him.

"No Randy we were not aware. What do you suggest until nightfall?"

Randy smirked at the two. "How about we go have a regular lunch and then tonight I show you how to find some  _real_  action." It was a statement, not a question and Damien and Cody knew they had no choice but to agree or suffer the Viper's wrath. Randy turned around and went back inside the hotel bar and restaurant and Cody and Damien followed. They sat in a booth near a darkened window facing the street. After the waitress came to take their order they sat in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes. Well, uncomfortable for Rhodes Scholars. If Randy Orton was ever uncomfortable he never showed it.

A light seemed to go off in Cody's brain and he looked up to address his former friend. "Randy, are you staying in the hotel?"

Randy looked at him and nodded once.

"I thought that was why you got a tour bus? So you wouldn't have to go from one hotel to the next?" Cody was generally confused about Randy's presence here in the hotel.

"Actually Rhodes, I got the tour bus so I wouldn't have to travel in those damn small uncomfortable rental cars. Sometimes a guy just wants to sleep in a real bed, in a real room that he doesn't have to clean up once he's done," responded Randy with a smirk.

The group fell silent once more, each man lost in his own thoughts. Sandow had come to the realization that they were not going to be able to hunt while in this town. Not while Randy seemed to have a vested interest in his and his partner's private business. Cody on the other hand took everything Randy had to say at face value. He did seem to realize, same as Damien had that they were not going to be able to hunt tonight, or in this city at all before they had to get back on the road. Then the waitress reappeared with their food and the three men ate while conversing about work and how the current storylines were lacking and whether or not the diva's division was salvageable.

They lingered for a while after they finished eating before Randy scooted out of the booth suddenly. "Alright guys, I want to see you back down here at a quarter till 10 so I can show you how it's done." And with that he walked away leaving no room for an argument.

Cody's head whipped around to look at Sandow, his eyes pleading. "Do we really have to go with him tonight? Is it too late to go hunting?"

Sandow regarded his partner with warm eyes. "We must strive to keep harmony in every other aspect of our lives Cody. That way we can truly have release with our prey later. It's the only way to make sure we don't make mistakes that will cost us dearly. We can't give anyone an inkling of what we do in our spare time. Our Mr. Orton seems to have sensed something about us and is or was hoping to find out what it was. If we keep this appointment with him tonight, I'm fairly certain he will back off."

Cody's eyes widened at that. "You mean this was all because he wanted to butt in on our business? He's just being nosy?!"

Damien grinned while rubbing his beard thoughtfully. "It certainly appears that way. It's certainly safer to assume that's what he's after. And it's much better to placate that man than to give him cause for more suspicion."

Cody sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Well then we better go back upstairs and get some rest. You've never hung out with Randy outside of work before. It's going to be a wild night."

 


	7. Admission

The drive to their next destination was done mostly in silence. Cody was still a bit hung over from the many body shots he took off several strippers the night before. Randy Orton had made good on his threat and definitely showed the two of them an interesting time. Most of the women knew Randy by name and those that didn't were wrestling fans and had no problem pulling out all the stops for them.

Sandow had managed to stick with light beer most of the night so he wasn't in as bad a shape as his partner. He smiled when he heard Cody groan and throw his arm up over his face to hide it from the glare of the sun.

Rhodes Scholars had been shocked into having fun with Orton. And while Sandow didn't seem to enjoy the lap dances as much as his counterpart Cody, he did enjoy connecting with the strippers on a more personal level. He managed to find out quite a bit about a young woman by the name of Star. Her real name was actually Peaches and that her parents were drug addicts so she moved out on her own at the age of 18. She found that stripping was the easiest way to pay the bills so she didn't bother getting a college education. After a while though, Damien only pretended to pay rapt attention to the girl when his attention was really being held by Cody. He had watched as his partner enjoyed his lap dance, Cody's face darkening as the stripper found his sweet spot, swiveling her hips in such a way that he began trading his pleasure in for a serious case of blue balls. Almost immediately Sandow began to feel a tightening in his own pants that only increased the more he watched Cody interact with the woman on his lap and the other woman at his ear.

Orton meanwhile was nowhere to be found. After he'd made sure that his two coworkers were taken care of and enjoying themselves, he had no problem being led to a back room by three of the strippers that had just gotten off duty. He didn't bother telling Rhodes and Sandow where he was going and that was just as well since they were currently occupied.

Damien chuckled to himself remembering how he'd had to enlist in Randy's help getting Cody out of the bar an hour and a half later. Cody was a cheerful drunk which made the task a lot easier. However when they finally made it back to the hotel, Orton had left them alone to go back to his room to crash, leaving Sandow to handle Cody on his own. Cody had hung onto his partner, giggling sporadically to himself and counting out loud the number of breasts he'd seen that night while Sandow maneuvered him to the elevators and then down the hall to his own room.

When he had entered Cody's room Sandow had to grin. Cody had taken to keeping clean and organized in a way that was similar to himself. It was simply another reason to be proud of choosing such an amazing partner. Sandow lowered Cody to the bed watching with mild amusement as he fell back with his feet dangling over the edge.

"You know," began Sandow. "This can't be a habit, getting so intoxicated you can barely function."

Cody opened one eye blearily at Sandow. "Well did you want me to tell Randy no? When we were friends I wouldn't have said no. I thought we… we were gonna plack ate him?"

Sandow rubbed his beard before chuckling. "You are correct. I did say we should  _placate_  him. I don't think he'll be bothering us again anytime soon. So, mission accomplished I suppose."

Cody closed his eyes and smiled. "Mission… accomplished."

Sandow looked at the bedside clock before sighing. "You need to get ready for bed. We have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow."

Cody frowned. "But… I'm in bed…" Suddenly a light snore escaped his lips as he fell into an exhausted and drunken slumber.

Sandow shook his head before kneeling on the floor. He carefully removed both of Cody's shoes and socks and stood back up. Steeling himself for what he was about to do he went for Cody's belt buckle, undoing that before going to the pants themselves and unbuttoning them and unzipping. Gritting his teeth, Sandow deftly pulled Cody's pants down and off leaving him in just a shirt and boxer briefs. After a moment's hesitation he leaned over Cody trying to quickly pull his shirt up and over his head without waking him. He was successful and Cody remained asleep.

Sandow had stared at Cody for several long moments, taking in the sight before him. He'd seen Cody in varying stages of undress before by virtue of their profession. But something was different about it now. He had just seen Cody enjoy himself in a very sexual way at the strip club and now he was almost nude before him, sleeping peacefully. This night had changed things for Sandow in a very real way.

Sighing dramatically, Sandow had decided to analyze his feelings later after he'd gotten his partner tucked into bed and comfortable. It took some maneuvering but he eventually got Cody under the covers. He didn't know how well Cody would hold his liquor so he got a garbage can and placed it at Cody's bedside along with a glass of water on the nightstand. With that done, Sandow hesitated once more. What if Cody needed him? What if he choked on his own vomit or otherwise soiled himself once alone? Again Sandow sighed and resigned himself to the fact that he'd have to stay with his partner for the night. He'd gone back to his room to change into his pajamas and when he got back to Cody's room he turned off the lights, turned on the television but turned the volume down low before getting in bed next to Cody.

Worried that Cody might be less than grateful in the morning Sandow opted to sleep on top of the sheet but underneath the comforter. Or at least that's what he tried to tell himself. No, Sandow had been much more worried that Cody would wake in the morning and  _feel_  just how happy his partner was to be there…

A semi- truck's horn sounded and startled Damien out of his memory of last night. Cody mumbled something about the horn blower being a jackass before settling back in to sleep. In spite of Cody's use of profanity, Sandow smiled.


	8. Reconcilable Differences

6 weeks later…

Cody and Sandow were sitting in a meeting with the creative team. The members of the creative team could sense that there was some tension between the two wrestlers in front of them but they couldn't understand where it was coming from. When those two men were in the ring they were amazing together. The crowd saw their chemistry and their skill in the ring was entertaining and sometimes devastating for their opponents. But lately, beyond the mat, things were tense.

Cody sighed loudly waiting for an explanation of their new script. He was leaning back in his chair, with his right leg jiggling rather impatiently. Sandow looked fairly calm, but it was clear his attention wasn't focused on the rewrite being discussed at length, ad nauseum.

"Okay gentlemen, that's all that we have for you today. We'll see you in a couple of weeks," stated Bob. Or at least that's what they knew him as. The man was so non-descript that no one on the roster could be bothered to learn his real name.

"Finally!" hissed Cody under his breath; before snatching the script up and storming out of the makeshift office.

Sandow gave an apologetic smile before following his partner into the locker room down the hall. He entered to see Cody pacing back and forth in front of their lockers with the crumbled up script in his hand.

"I can't take this anymore. I can't! I can't keep this up Damien," growled Cody. He stopped and stared at Sandow for a long moment before resuming his agitated pacing.

Sandow understood what was happening. He saw the rage and frustration slowly building within Cody for weeks. Sandow had been wrong about how long they were going to garner Randy Orton's attention. For several weeks they had accompanied The Viper to several clubs, strip, dance, it didn't matter. They joined him and even had fun but their real and needed release had been unattainable. But it seemed at last the Viper's focus had gone elsewhere. However, the past two weeks had brought about other difficulties and so they continued to go without hunting. But now Damien was seeing that Cody had reached his limit.

Sandow was feeling the ache as well. One cause, his Shadow, Cody knew about. The other he didn't and Sandow didn't know how long he'd be able to keep his longing for his partner to himself.

"It's okay Cody. I know how you feel. I feel it too," started Sandow walking towards Cody.

"No! No! I need it Damien! I need to…" Cody stopped and without warning turned to punch the locker next to him. "I need to hunt dammit! I need to hunt NOW!"

Suddenly Cody found himself shoved forcefully into the wall of lockers to his left. Damien had a fierce frightening look on his face as he held Cody in place. He pinned Cody's arms to the metal lockers, his large hands not able to fully encompass Cody's biceps but enough to keep him still. His left leg was between both of Cody's while Sandow used his entire body to keep his frustrated partner immobile.

"Silence! Do you want the entire roster to hear you?!" hissed Damien. "What if we weren't alone in here? What if someone heard you? How would you explain it?"

Cody simply looked at Damien, his eyes still narrowed, fists still clenched.

At Cody's silence, Damien's face turned vicious. He pressed himself harder into Cody and squeezed his arms earning a surprised gasp from the younger man. Cody relaxed a bit, but the defiance in his eyes remained.

"You listen to me Rhodes. We have to be patient! We're either patient, or we get caught and we die. The time has not been right and you know that."

Cody shook his head violently against the lockers. "You said that Randy was done with us after that first night! You were wrong!" he cried.

"I  _can_  be wrong!" bellowed Sandow. "I'm allowed to be wrong on things like that because people are different and I'm not psychic. But I'm not wrong about continuing to employ the tactics that keep us protected and alive. I'm  _not_  wrong about being patient. If it'll make you feel better, we can hunt up a prostitute tonight. That's all I can guarantee on such short notice." He said the last quietly, waiting to see what Cody would say.

At that Cody relaxed completely and dropped his gaze. "I'm… I don't think… I'm not ready for that yet," he whispered, a hint of shame in his voice.

"I didn't think so," rumbled Sandow. He looked into Cody's eyes suddenly aware of how his body felt against his own. He moved in closer till his lips were mere inches away from Cody, whose body suddenly went still. "So," he said in a near whisper. "We wait… till… the… time… is… right."

A loud bang of the door being slammed open startled the two men as Dolph Ziggler walked into the locker room. He saw the compromising position they were in and frowned, worried that he might have to call for help.

"Is everything okay here?" he asked glancing between them and the door.

Sandow gave Cody one last warning glare before shoving him up against the lockers and walking towards the showers.

"Yes, everything is fine."

Two days later found the two men in a much better mood. They were in a new city; one that Sandow was familiar with and had at least four different kill areas he had access to. The one they chose was a box car at an abandoned train yard. This time their hunting grounds were a large local park. They had been walking a certain hidden trail waiting for the perfect prey to snatch.

Cody sighed with a toothpick between his teeth. "What about him?" he asked pointing to an older bald gentleman with annoyingly bright shorts on.

"No," answered Sandow while they continued to move forward. He and Cody hadn't been able to agree on their intended target after having been out on for a few hours. Cody would suggest someone and Sandow would barely give them a glance. Sandow would suggest someone and Cody would fuss. The two men were just about to call it quits when another potential jogged right past them. The man was middle aged, slim but not skinny and not lightening quick like others that had passed them.

Sandow grinned over at Cody. "Go get him. Drag him off to the brush when you render him unconscious."

Cody grinned right back before taking off after the man they'd agreed upon. The man seemed fairly oblivious to being chased and so it was rather easy for Cody to take him by surprise. Cody caught up to him and immediately brought his arm underneath the man's throat choking him. Since he was already winded it didn't take much pressure to make the man pass out. Sandow nodded in approval when he passed them to make sure there were no people in sight of their vehicle. When the coast was clear, he went back to help Cody bring the man to their car and quickly shut him in the trunk before heading off to their already prepared kill site.

Both Cody and Sandow were anxious with anticipation for their second kill together. When they arrived at their destination the man was stirring but not awake yet. They worked quickly to bring him inside the box car, strip him, and shackle him to the floor spread eagled over top of the butcher's plastic that Damien had purchased earlier in the day.

They both put on thick heavy aprons and gloves before starting the generator and bathing the smallish space in light from the several lamps they'd purchased. The intensely bright lights were enough to bring their prey around.

"Huh?! Wha?! What's happening?!" cried the man. He tried to pull at his bonds and his eyes lit up in a panic.

"Well," began Cody.

"You're in our company," interrupted Sandow earning a glare from Cody. "Which is the only evidence needed to know that your time on this earth will be ending shortly."

The man began to grunt, struggling hard, pulling at the metal surrounding his wrists and ankles. His sweat slickened the plastic beneath him creating an interesting sound as he fought to free himself.

Sandow brought the small table of tools to the right of the man while Cody went and turned on the iPod on the iHome battery operated dock. Sandow was opening his mouth to tell his partner what playlist he wanted when the space was suddenly filled with the blaring sounds of The Offspring's 'Gone Away'. Sandow whipped around, his lip curled in annoyance, but he said nothing.

Cody nodded his head to the beat of the music before kneeling next to their prey. The man was literally shaking with fear and the sight of him sent a thrill through Cody.

The man locked eyes with him saying, "Please sir, please. I have a family! I swear I won't tell anyone about this! I swear! Just let me go home to my wife and girls!"

Cody looked back at Sandow who simply grinned before pointing to the man's ringless finger.

Cody took notice and laughed. "Hmm, it doesn't look like you have a family to go back to  _sir_. No tan line around your ring finger, no nothing."

At that the man looked startled at being caught in his lie so suddenly. "Look guys I just don't want to die. I just want to go home!" With that the man began to sob, the fear he was feeling just taking over completely.

Sandow grabbed a meat cleaver off the table before handing it to Cody. Cody looked slightly confused until Sandow gestured to his fingers before wiggling them. Cody nodded and scooted up near the man's shackled hands. Without a word he brought the knife up high before slamming it down quickly on their prey's fingers, lopping two of them off at the knuckle.

The man gasped before howling in pain. His screams echoed the walls of the small space they were in bringing both Sandow and Cody immense relief. However it was short lived for Sandow as he was beginning to resent Cody's music choice. He walked over to the iHome and was about to change the playlist when suddenly Cody was at his back.

"What are you doing Damien?" asked Cody eyes narrowed.

"I need my classical playlist," stated Sandow. "This… music of yours… It's not doing it for me."

Cody rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, how about this?" and he grabbed the iPod away from Sandow scrolling through the songs until he found what he was looking for. Immediately the two were regaled with the sounds of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra performing their rendition of Ukrainian Bell Carol.

"You're welcome," said Cody with a chuckle. Sandow smirked before patting Cody on the back obviously pleased with his new music choice. Cody went back to the floor and made short work of cutting off the rest of the man's fingers. He glanced behind him smiling at the sight of his partner conducting to the sounds of their prey's screams along with the music.

The two spent the next forty-five minutes torturing their prey, doing what they could to induce severe pain and heart-wrenching screams from their victim. By the time they were finished the man was nearly unrecognizable. His tongue had been cut out to help silence his screams as they were over powering the music that played on in the background. His fingers and toes were gone leaving nothing but bloody nubs. His lips had been cut clean off so that he seemed to be grinning grotesquely at his two captors. And a crisscrossing pattern of cuts decorated the man's chest and thighs, some shallow and some much deeper. The blood pooling beneath their prey was beginning to stick which meant that their play time was coming to an end.

The man was breathing shallowly, eyes closed. Both Cody and Sandow were impressed with the man's fortitude, amazed at how he hadn't succumbed to shock and blood loss yet. It meant that like before, they would be able to deal his death together. Sandow handed Cody a paring knife and took one for himself as they both kneeled next to their immobilized prey.

"We're going for the jugular this time. Watch the spray, it'll be magnificent," stated Sandow. They both positioned their knives on either side of the man's neck. They glanced at each other before sliding the blades home. The man's eyes flew open in shock and surprise. Sandow and Cody watched as the blood shot out and up, making beautiful arcing patterns on the walls of plastic they had hanging.

As the man's blood pumped its last Sandow put his hand on Cody's shoulder giving a gentle squeeze. He felt free, that disturbing tension between them was finally gone. Cody smiled at Sandow, the release he felt powerful enough to make him tremble.

"We needed this Damien," whispered Cody. He looked back down at their deceased victim. "Let's not go so long next time."

Sandow nodded having yet to remove his hand from Cody's shoulder. "If it can be managed, we'll try for once a month. You have no idea how I feel being able to share this with you."

 


	9. A Frank Talk

The following evening Cody met with Sandow inside his hotel room. He was feeling pretty good, still basking in the release of their most recent kill. When he arrived at Sandow's room however, he began to feel nervous. If Sandow was still flying high from the previous night, he didn't show it. He looked downright grim in fact. Biting his lip, Cody entered the room without a word, sitting at the small table nearest the window.

Sandow hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. As much as he had enjoyed the hunt and the kill with Cody, upon later reflection he realized that some of Cody's behavior disturbed him. It was only his second kill but none of the trepidation or wavering from his first kill remained. Cody had been downright savage when it came to their prey last night and Sandow had a few thoughts as to what may have contributed to that.

Cody's anxiety went up a notch as he stared at Damien. He'd been in his hotel room for almost five minutes and the older man hadn't spoken a word yet. Another minute passed before Sandow finally acknowledged his partner.

"Cody, I want to talk about last night," said Sandow quietly. His hands were fisted on his hips as he looked down at the younger man.

Just thinking about the previous night put a smile on Cody's face. "What about last night did you want to talk about?"

Sandow hesitated. He didn't want Cody to think there was anything wrong with his behavior but he did want to get to the root of it. Not only would it help keep him from having outbursts like the one in the locker room a few days prior, but it will also aid in keeping him in control of himself with his prey. Damien had enjoyed their last kill immensely but realistically it was altogether sloppy and sloppy can be dangerous where the Shadow is concerned.

"Last night you seemed to be more aggressive than you were during your first kill," stated Sandow.

Cody tilted his head to the side, genuinely confused. "But I thought you wanted me to be more proactive?"

Damien nodded slowly. "That's true. But what happened last night was something else. I wonder if perhaps you aren't seeking release outside of our partnership."

Cody frowned. "I'm sorry Damien, I don't follow."

Sandow sighed, rubbing his beard. "What I mean is that sometimes, a physical release… sexual… can help to keep the Shadow at bay."

At that Cody's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in surprise. He stared at Damien, openmouthed for a full 30 seconds before regaining some control. But he did not respond.

Sandow was amused at Cody's reaction. "I assumed Cody that you were getting your other needs met elsewhere. What with all the strippers and…"

"Oh God no!" Cody balked, frowning as if he smelled something rotten. "I mean, geez Damien. I was just trying to be like you."

It was now Sandow's turn to stare in confusion. "You're trying to be like me?" he asked.

Slightly embarrassed, Cody looked down into his lap. "Well I've never seen you with anyone and you never lose  _your_ cool. I thought killing was all you needed to function and that maybe I could be that way too. Of course, looking back on the way I acted the other day, maybe you're right."

Cody looked up and met Sandow's gaze with a sheepish grin. "I never apologized to you for that by the way. It was wrong of me to blame you and I never should have jeopardized our partnership just because I was frustrated. I'm sorry Damien."

"Apology accepted Cody. I admit that it's partially my fault. I should have explained to you how difficult it can be, having to wait patiently for your next hunt. It becomes addictive and I never shared the nature of that addiction with you. Now, you don't see me with anyone because I've gotten better at control. However, when I first started out, having the benefit of a sexual release was extremely helpful at maintaining my balance. I've since moved beyond that. But now that you know that option exists, what are you going to do to curtail your urges?"

Cody looked away from Sandow's face, color rushing to his cheeks. "Damien, I'm not really interested in anyone right now."

"That's fine," said Sandow with a chuckle. "A relationship would be extremely difficult to balance right now. A friends with benefits type situation would suffice."

For the first time since their partnership began Cody felt a little uneasy. His mind suddenly flashed on his outburst in the locker room the other day and Sandow's response to it, holding him down, pressing into him… Cody had to stop himself from physically shaking his head in front of Damien.

"I'll figure something out Damien. I promise," said the younger man quietly.

"Good. I'm glad we're on the same page. Now you should go and get some rest but I want you to think about what we've talked about. We'll meet in the gym in the morning for a quick workout."

Cody nodded and rose from the chair. He gave Sandow a quick smile before wishing him a goodnight and leaving the room.


	10. Interlude

The drive to the next city was stressful for Damien. He maintained some idle conversation with Cody but was much too wrapped up in his own thoughts to give in depth answers. How couldn't he have seen it? Cody was becoming so much like him and he didn't even realize it until their frank discussion the night before. Sandow glanced at Cody out of the corner of his eye, catching sight of the traces of hair on his upper lip. When had he started growing that?

Sandow sighed deeply. He had become so wrapped up in the idea of having a partner, of having Cody as his partner, that he hadn't paid attention to how much their arrangement was going to change the younger man. Sandow sincerely hoped that Cody wasn't losing himself or the very things about him that drew Damien to him in the first place would be gone.

Cody on the other hand, struggled to fill the awkward silence in the car with chatter. He couldn't stop thinking about the conversation he had with Damien last night. The thought of finding someone to just fuck around with felt very alien to him, and somehow wrong. Cody knew that Damien meant well, but for some reason he couldn't explain (or perhaps refused to acknowledge) it bothered him that Damien would even suggest such a thing to him in the first place. Whatever the reason, Cody didn't want to think about it anymore and so he talked, for the both of them.

 


	11. Compatibility & Vulnerability

A month had gone by since the pair's last kill. Unfortunately for the two, a reasonable opportunity for a hunt had yet to present itself. Unlike the last time however, Cody was able to keep himself in check in spite of his frustration but it was obvious to Sandow that his patience was wearing thin.

One night after an incredible match between Rhodes Scholars and Brodus Clay and impromptu tag partner Tensai, Rhodes Scholar's lost their #1 Contender shot at the Tag Team titles. Though the situation was scripted the loss still stung both men and it showed in their demeanor as they walked quickly back to the locker room. Cody entered the room first, shoving the door open so hard that it slammed into the wall as they walked in startling the likes of Alex Riley, Bo Dallas and Big E Langston. Damien raised an eyebrow in warning at Cody but he couldn't blame the younger man for being angry.

"I'm sick of this, Damien," muttered Cody while snatching his bag out of the locker. He didn't bother changing out of his ring gear and simply threw a t-shirt on before sitting down on the bench.

The double meaning wasn't lost on Sandow as he followed suit and put on a t-shirt as well. "I know Cody. It's unfortunate but we will find a way to deal. I mean that," responded Damien before lifting his bag onto his shoulder. He certainly meant it. For a month since their last kill and resulting conversation Damien thought of Cody and nothing else. He found himself staring at the younger man at the most inappropriate times, remembering Cody's outburst and how it felt to be pressed up against him.

He found that he wasn't put off by Cody's neatly trimmed mustache and that although he could still see glimpses of his boyish good looks (most especially when he smiled) that the mustache actually gave his face an interesting dynamic than when it was bare. When Cody looked to Sandow for guidance and advice, Damien would practically swell with pride and some other emotion that worried him. Damien  _wanted_  Cody. He could admit that much to himself. Did he love Cody? Damien didn't know. He wasn't sure he was capable of love whatever that was. But he definitely felt for the younger man and he planned to do something about it. Tonight.

The two rode to their hotel in silence. Cody, silent, sullen and brooding, Sandow thoughtful and anticipatory. When they arrived they headed towards the elevators. Once inside Damien grabbed Cody's wrist and said, "I want you to take a hot shower, eat something if you want and then come to my room. I'll be waiting for you regardless, so feel free to take your time." With that said he let go of Cody, and grinned at the young man's nod, happy with his immediate acceptance.

"Sure Damien, no problem," said Cody slightly puzzled. When the lift stopped at their floor, Cody went to his room and Sandow headed to his at the opposite end of the hall.

Ever since he was a child, once Sandow made up his mind to do something, he did it. Now was no exception. He wanted Cody. Wanted him so bad that sometimes he couldn't think straight. So he knew that if tonight went as planned they'd be better able to handle the tension that came with their chosen profession and their Shadows. Sandow went over his ideas for tonight in his head as he showered, brushed his teeth and shampooed his hair. Smelling fresh and finally clean, he dressed in his usual sleepwear, silk pajama bottoms and slippers. He tied his hair back with a black band and sat on the edge of the bed. He opted not to eat beforehand because he didn't know just how strenuous tonight was going to be and perhaps because he was a tiny bit nervous. And so he waited.

Cody took Damien's advice and took his time in the shower. He didn't know what exactly Sandow wanted to talk to him about but figured it had something to do with how short tempered he'd been lately. Cody sighed deeply letting the spray of water run over his head before washing his hair and lastly his body. Once out and dry he dressed in a pair of sleep shorts and a t-shirt. He ate a quick light dinner and shoved his feet into a pair of slippers before leaving his room to go to Damien's.

When Damien heard the knock on his door he could barely contain his eagerness. He wasn't quite sure how Cody would react but he knew that eventually the younger man would come around. He'd make sure of it.

Sandow opened the door and ushered Cody in with a slight nod before closing the door behind him. Cody entered but before he could take another step into the room Sandow grabbed his arm and shoved him into the door with a dull thud simultaneously stepping into him, effectively blocking him.

Cody gasped his eyes wide with surprise. "Damien, what the…"

Damien slapped both his hands on the door on either side of Cody's head, leaning in close to his face. "You haven't taken what we talked about last month seriously," whispered Sandow. He was close, so close that Cody could smell the mint on his breath.

Cody looked down, oddly embarrassed and very uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. I just did not feel comfortable with finding a fuck bud- I mean a friend with benefits. But I've been trying to keep it together. Can't you see that?"

Sandow nodded slowly but did not move away. "Indeed I have noticed. But I think that you need more than just your stubbornness to keep the Shadow at bay." Damien closed in those last few inches and quickly claimed Cody's lips with his own. Cody was in shock and stood motionless as he tried to process what was happening. Sandow pressed himself into Cody more as he kissed the younger man harder, unconcerned that Cody wasn't yet reciprocating. After a long moment he stepped back, vaguely amused at the look of utter shock still on his partner's face.

Cody brought his hand up to his lips, eyes still frozen wide with shock. "Damien? What… I mean why did… What the hell?!" he sputtered.

"I'm helping us both to keep the Shadow in check," answered Sandow moving towards Cody.

Cody side stepped the older man, ending up flush against the bed. "No! No Damien! I don't think we need to do this! I told you I can handle it and I am!"

This time Damien said nothing. He simply pushed Cody onto the bed before climbing on top of him. Cody struggled but didn't try to shove Sandow off of him. Sandow took this as a sign of encouragement before reaching down between them, underneath his shorts to take hold of Cody in hand. He was pleased to find that the younger man was mostly hard already. Sandow began stroking him slowly as he stole another kiss.

Cody was conflicted. He had thought about this, had wanted it (if only subconsciously) for a while, but now that it was happening, he wasn't sure how to react. He wasn't sure if this fantasy come true was the best idea. But what he thought didn't matter anymore, his body was choosing for him. His breath was coming faster with each stroke as Damien skillfully handled him. Cody's eyes rolled back in his skull and he moaned loudly. Sandow took that opportunity to kiss him again, thrusting his tongue inside Cody's mouth, tasting him for the first time.

Sandow growled into the younger man's mouth and Cody finally began returning his kiss. He grinned against Cody's mouth in triumph, feeling himself become even harder if possible. Suddenly he stood up causing Cody to groan at the lack of contact. Cody leaned back on his elbows, watching Sandow as warring emotions cascaded across his face. Lips swollen, eyes hooded, skin flushed, Cody watched as Damien removed his pajama bottoms and stepped out of his slippers. Damien's thick, tan turgid manhood glistened and leaked at the tip, giving away just how much he wanted Cody. He reached forward and deftly stripped away Cody's shorts and boxers. He nodded in approval at Cody's hard on before leaning forward and pulling his shirt up over his head.

Somewhere in Cody's brain he realized that they had reached the point of no return. The thought both terrified him and thrilled him. Whatever happened now, the two would be more than just partners and the significance of that was astounding.

Sandow reached into a drawer on the nightstand and pulled out a small package of lube. He saw the perplexity cross Cody's face that slowly dawned into understanding and then fear. Sandow smiled and it was wicked.

"You know what I want Cody," said Damien slickening his hands with the lube and then his rock hard cock.

Cody watched his every movement with something akin to fear. But he was also unbelievably turned on. Had their partnership really come to this?

Damien raised an eyebrow at Cody's silence. "Let me ask you again. Cody, do you know what I want?"

Cody gulped and nodded slowly.

Damien groaned softly as he continued stroking himself. "Then do it."

Cody shivered a bit as if he were cold before shifting till he was on his hands and knees on the bed. He was scared, terrified even but he idolized Sandow, worshiped him, trusted him. And he was horny beyond belief.

Sandow took a moment to appreciate Cody's backside. He'd seen it before of course in the locker room and showers on more than one occasion. But to see it like this? Two small tight cheeks, deliciously bent over in front of him? On his bed? Damien didn't think he could get any harder, he was already so hard he ached.

He climbed onto the bed behind Cody and drizzled more of the lube in between Cody's cheeks. Cody jumped at the sensation and Sandow chuckled darkly before inserting one thick digit inside of his partner. Cody gasped at the intrusion, not finding any true pleasure in it right off. He tried to move away but Sandow grabbed him by the hip to hold him in place and then grabbed the younger man's softening member and began working him once more. Soon Cody was hard again and relaxed enough for Damien to insert a second finger into his tight entrance.

"That's it Cody. If you can take this, you can take me," whispered Sandow with a groan. The younger man was so tight! He knew that once he was inside Cody he wouldn't last long. When he felt that Cody was sufficiently ready, he pushed himself slowly, inch by inch inside Cody.

"Ahhh! Oh Damien, oh fuck…" Cody was beside himself as Sandow filled him up. Just that sensation alone was almost enough to send him into orbit. But then Sandow began to move. He thrust his hips slowly at first, letting Cody get used to his size. But once he found his rhythm, he thrust smoothly in and out of Cody rolling his hips to hit that bundle of nerves that nearly caused Cody to scream out loud. Damien smirked pleased that he was affecting Cody in such a way.

"Ugh! Damien please! Faster, harder, I need to come!" moaned Cody. Each word was punctuated by a grunt as Damien complied with his wishes.

"Get ready Cody," moaned Sandow. "Are you stroking yourself? I want you to stroke yourself so we can come together." His breathing became more labored and his thrusts less measured but more powerful.

"Yes… yes Damien… Oh.. God… I'm-," and Cody let out a strangled half scream, half sob as the orgasm crashed through him his sudden release shooting out of him almost painfully.

Sandow felt Cody's ring of muscle tightening and fluttering around him and his release came soon after, so strong and overwhelming that his eyes slammed shut and he collapsed upon Cody's back. He gripped the younger man tightly as his fluids spurted hot and fast inside Cody's ass. Both men fell to their sides, Damien's dick sliding wetly out of Cody as they both rolled over to their backs. For several moments neither man said a word while they waited for their breathing to slow.

Eventually Cody finally got up the courage to look at Damien. To his surprise, Damien was already up on his elbow, watching him intently.

Cody frowned, not sure how to express what he was feeling. But somehow Sandow seemed to know. He smiled tiredly at Cody.

"Come," said Sandow and gestured for him to scoot closer. Cody did and Sandow reached over and shut off the lamp before wrapping one arm around his partner's trim waist. It didn't take long for Cody's breathing to even out as he fell into a deep sleep. Sandow tucked hishead in against Cody's neck and sighed, breathing in his scent. For the first time in a long time he felt sated in a way the Shadow couldn't touch and he just knew that Cody was feeling the same. Sandow closed his eyes and nuzzled Cody's ear.

"You're welcome."


	12. The After

Cody was the first to awaken the next morning. His mouth was dry and his ass was sore, but somehow he felt… good… great, even. That tension of not being able to hunt that caused him such anger and frustration was gone because Damien had taken care of it. Had taken care of him. But what now? Were they lovers? Boyfriend and boyfriend? Did this make him gay? Did he care if it did? Cody's mouth turned down in a small frown. He took a deep breath and sighed. Perhaps it was best not to label this thing with Damien. There wasn't a thing about the two of them that was conventional and that, he ultimately decided, was okay.

He paused in his thoughts, noticing that Sandow's arm was still wrapped around his waist. It was a pleasant sensation that brought a smile to Cody's face. Together the two of them had killed. They had listened to their victims pleas, witnessed them begging for their lives and dealt torture and death. They were already intimate, but last night that intimacy reached a whole other level.

Cody's bladder was now vying for attention. He shifted trying to get a peek at Damien without waking him. The older man's eyes were closed, a slight smirk on his face, even in sleep. Carefully Cody unwrapped Sandow's arm from around his waist before sliding out of bed. He crept into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. After relieving himself, he washed his hands and got a quick drink from the faucet. When he opened the door he saw that Sandow was still fast asleep. He stared at him for a long moment. His teacher. His mentor. His partner. So many emotions threatened to overwhelm him. Cody didn't have the energy to sift through them all right now so he pushed them to the back of his mind.

Wanting a shower and a change of clothes, Cody decided to go back to his own hotel room. Quickly, quietly he dressed and grabbed his card key off the dresser. Looking at the clock he saw that it was 7 am. They had two hours before they needed to be on the road. He knew that Sandow always set his alarm for 7:30am so he didn't bother trying to wake him. With one last glance at his sleeping partner, Cody walked out.

At exactly 7:30am Sandow's alarm clock blared, startling him out of sleep. Vaguely disoriented he turned it off, sat up and reached over into the empty space on his bed. Completely awake now he saw that Cody had indeed left his room. Sandow frowned. He didn't like that Cody had left without waking him, without telling him. He thought back to what had transpired the night before. He had more than enjoyed topping the younger man and if the stain on the bed was any indication, Cody had enjoyed it too. Whatever Cody was thinking about last night, Sandow felt that without a doubt that sex was going to become a regular part of their partnership. Damien had finally gotten a taste of Cody and like his Shadow; that desire, that urge wasn't going to just disappear. Cody was  _his_. Cody Rhodes belonged to  _him_. And the sooner the younger man accepted that, the smoother their partnership would become.

At exactly 9:30am the two men were in their new rental and back on the road. It would take them approximately four hours to get to the next city. Since it was Sandow's turn to drive, Cody took the opportunity to take in the countryside as they made their way through the Midwest. He was relaxed and dare he say it, at peace. Last night was the second time in half a year that Damien had shown a whole new world to him. With a small smile on his face, Cody had to shake his head. Perhaps the creative team wasn't full of a bunch of out of touch morons after all. He had them to thank for everything really. If only they knew just how deep his partnership with Sandow went.

It was almost dark when they finally made it to the next city. But Cody looked up startled when they bypassed the hotel they were supposed to be staying at.

"Umm… Damien?" he asked looking at his phone's GPS. "You passed the hotel."

Damien nodded. "I know Cody. We're not going to the hotel."

"And  _why_  aren't we going to the hotel?" Cody continued to fiddle with his phone, shutting down the navigator so his battery wouldn't die.

Damien grinned. "Because we're going to my condo instead. We've got the next two days off partner." Sandow chuckled, genuinely happy to be able to show Cody his home. But when he saw that Cody was staring at him with a none too pleased look on his face, Sandow's smile slipped.

Sandow sighed. "Last night before our match, I talked the powers that be into letting us have some time off. They consented and we get to relax for a couple of days." He took his eyes off the road a second to gauge Cody's reaction. The younger man actually looked angry now. Feeling his own anger rise, Damien's eyes narrowed.

"You're welcome!" he snapped.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" yelled Cody. "You knew  _before_  our match that we were a night away from time off and you didn't tell me?!"

Sandow's face darkened. "Lower your voice Rhodes," replied Sandow, his own voice low and dangerous. "What difference does it make?"

Cody crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at him. "Because you knew that in little over 24 hours we would've been able to hunt but you seduced me anyway," said Cody his voice a little quieter. Licking his lips he turned in his seat, pointedly giving the older man all his attention. "Was that a surprise too or did you plan that as well,  _Sandow_?" Cody said his last name with such vehemence that it forced Sandow to pull the car over to the side of the road, even though he was less than 5 miles from his house.

After putting the rental into park, Damien gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands staring straight ahead. "Was that so wrong? We both got what we needed. Hell we both got what we _wanted_  and don't you  _dare_ try to tell me different."

Sandow dropped his hands into his lap and turned to give Cody a very guarded yet dark look. "You came into this partnership with an open mind and allowed me the pleasure of introducing you to an enticing, intoxicating way to live, by hunting people and dealing them death. You took to it like a fish to water, never once questioning my motives for inviting you in to see that side of me. Inviting you to join me."

Sandow searched Cody's eyes before continuing. "You can sit there and act as outraged as you want to Rhodes. But deep down you knew what I wanted from you, what I expected of you. I excited you. My Shadow intrigued you. I showed you how live shrouded in darkness, feeding on terror. I gave you the courage to act on impulses that would make your mother and father weep! And through it all you've only begged me for more." The look on his face was cold and so were the next words that left his lips.

"And that is why you let me  _fuck_  you last night."

Cody's jaw dropped and his face flamed. Damien never cursed. The face that he did so now only emphasized how disappointed he was in him. It emphasized how strongly he felt about Cody. Dejected and speechless, Cody simply faced forward in his seat with his head down. He wasn't quite sure how to deal with what Sandow had just said. Sandow had always wanted him in a sexual way. That he'd allowed him to become his partner in hunts was just the icing on the proverbial cake. Cody rubbed his chest and looked back out the passenger side window. He was hurt and he didn't really know why.

Seeing that his point was made, Sandow put the car into gear and drove the last few minutes to his condo. It was very nice in an older but prosperous area of town. He parked in the underground garage. After getting his luggage out of the trunk, Cody grabbed his and followed him to the elevator. Once in the lobby they took another elevator to the top floor where his condo was. His was the only one on that floor, so he had a measure of privacy.

Sandow pointed in the direction of a dark hallway. "The guest bedroom is down that hall at the end. There's a bathroom on your left. If you need anything, my room is down this hall." He had only taken two steps when Cody called him.

"Damien wait," called Cody quietly. He ran his hand over his hair in agitation. "Look, I'm sorry about blowing up in the car. You're right. About everything. I guess I just didn't want to admit it to myself. But that doesn't mean that I was trying to take all you've taught me and done for me for granted. I appreciate you Damien and I enjoy being with you." Cody sighed feeling uncomfortable. "Will you accept my apology?" He looked up into Damien's eyes for the first time since their argument. Hopeful.

Damien stared at him a moment before a smile broke out on his face. "Of course Cody," answered Sandow before leaning over to give the younger man a side hug. "I understand that all of this is still new to you. It's just going to take some getting used to, that's all."

Cody smiled and it was genuine and bright. "Thanks Damien."

"Not a problem Cody. Now why don't you go and lay down. We'll go and have some fun tomorrow."

 


	13. An (Un)Welcome Surprise?

Sandow lay awake in bed for some time, the last twenty-four hours on a continuous loop in his head. Had it been naïve of him to assume that Cody would not have been upset? Indeed he had mislead the younger man, but only because Sandow knew at the beginning that Cody wasn't ready for him. Sandow thought back to the scene in the car how Cody's eyes had flashed, how his beautiful mouth had set in a tight thin line… Sandow's eyes narrowed at the thought. He did not like how Cody had challenged him. He rather missed the almost doe eyed innocence and acceptance the younger man had displayed earlier on in their partnership; hanging on his every word, only asking questions that needed to be asked. Sandow harrumphed as he rolled over to his side. If Cody thought this was an equal partnership he was sadly mistaken. An idea clicked and a quick glance to the clock showed that it was nearly 1am. Sandow jumped out of bed and got dressed. He grabbed the keys to the rental but before he left out, he decided to check on Cody. A quick peek let him know that the younger man was fast asleep.

Sandow smirked as he left the condo. He'd show Cody. He'd show him that he was to be feared as well as revered; to be loved and respected befitting a strong Shadow partnership. Working out the details of his plan in his mind, he got into the car and headed to one of his first hunting grounds… the county park.

Cody awoke the next morning to sunlight streaming in through the blinds. He blinked slowly trying to get his bearings. Suddenly it came to him, he and Damien had had a fight the night before, and now they were at his condo for a seemingly impromptu vacation. Cody shook his head but was unable to stop the flood of memories that were the cause of yesterday's fight. He thought about the way Sandow's lips had felt on his. The way his body felt against him… The way Damien had filled him up so thoroughly and…

"Ugh! Get a grip!" said Cody out loud and frustrated. "It'll probably never happen again." The last was said with very little conviction but it did help cease the troublesome thoughts. A rumble in his midsection let him know that he was hungry, so after a quick trip to the bathroom to relieve himself he made his way to the kitchen. To his pleasant surprise Sandow had laid out a large delicious looking breakfast, still hot and ready for him.

Cody looked at the assortment of food in awe. Eggs, bacon, sausage links, pancakes with syrup on the side, a bowl of fresh cut fruit and carafe of orange juice sat on the table. At the moment Sandow had his back to Cody as he put several mixing bowls and spoons in the dishwasher. When he turned around and saw Cody he smiled warmly.

"Good morning! Did you sleep well?" he asked wiping his hands on his apron.

Cody nodded. "I did actually. Thanks for asking." Then looking down at the table he chuckled. "I didn't know you could cook Damien. This looks great!"

Sandow gave a sweeping bow, gesturing that Cody should sit. "Well I am a man of many talents as you are most certainly aware. Please, eat before it gets cold. We have a lot to do today."

There was a gleam in Damien's eye when he referenced having a lot to do. Cody smiled as he brought a fork full of pancakes to his lips. He couldn't wait to see what Damien had in store.

At first their day together was filled with mundane tasks, like paying the bills and shopping for some household odds and ends. Truthfully, Cody didn't mind. He enjoyed being able to witness Sandow in his element. He watched the older man move fluidly from one activity to the next, getting things done quickly and efficiently. A little after noon they decided to stop at a café for lunch. As they sat and ate, the two resumed old patterns easily, looking for prey though neither admitting it was a hunt. Cody had his eye on a young hipster with a pencil thin beard and a knit cap on his head. He wanted that man. He wanted to make him squeal with pain as he cut his body parts off and showed them to him one by one. Sandow knew who he was focused on and shook his head warningly. He watched Cody's lips turn down into a small pout and couldn't help but smile.

After taking a long sip of his drink he said, "Soon," before finishing off the rest of his sandwich.

Cody grinned, excited that they were finally going to be able to hunt. He was finally going to be able to silence his Shadow, if only for a little while.

When the two finished eating they made a trip to a sporting goods store. Cody was like a kid in a candy shop as he helped Sandow pick out the items to be used on their next victim. Cody had enjoyed the butterfly knives they'd used before, so Sandow purchased two more, along with some lamps, a hand axe, and two machetes. Sandow grinned at the wide eyed look Cody gave him when placed the last two items on the counter. Once everything was paid for, they left and went back to the condo for dinner and a change of clothes.

Later, the two found themselves in the car, Sandow driving but not telling Cody where they were headed. All the man had told him was that it was a "Surprise". Cody had rolled his eyes at that but in reality he was excited. They had new tools to use, and he was dressed significantly different than usual for a hunt; in jeans, hiking boots, and a long sleeved shirt. Sandow was dressed similarly. For thirty minutes they rode in silence to the location that Sandow had picked out. When Cody finally saw the structure that loomed overhead, he had to swallow past the lump in his throat.

It was a very large, very old stone and brick building. It looked decrepit with windows broken and the front doors nearly off their hinges. The steps were crumbling and there were sections of the building missing, as if time and other factors had worn away walls and rooms where only piles of shattered bricks remained. Long thick vines climbed up nearly every surface, adding to the gloom. It looked like somebody's nightmare and Cody turned to Sandow trying hard to mask his anxiety.

"Are we going to do this in there?" Cody asked hating the slight tremble in his voice.

Sandow turned and looked at him for a long moment before answering. "Of course not Cody. That building isn't very secure or safe for us to use. We're going underground." Sandow didn't acknowledge Cody's questioning look right off as he got out of the car. They both reached into the trunk grabbing their bags holding their gear before closing it and walking away. Sandow had parked quite a few yards away, making sure the car was hidden from view of the road. He knew that if worse came to worst and they had to make a run for it, they'd easily be able to get back quickly, seeing as how they were both athletic and fit. It was dark and Cody was having some trouble following Sandow with the only source of light being the full moon overhead.

"Cody, the building ahead used to be an asylum. Not for the insane, but for those suffering from tuberculosis. So many people died here…" Sandow said that last with reverence, almost like he envied the disease for taking more lives than he.

The younger man shivered. While he was sure that the place held some sort of significance for Damien, it only made him nervous. Eventually they came to a hatch of some sort in the ground, obscured from view by brush and vines, about thirty feet from the south side of the structure. Sandow put his bag down before lifting the metal door open. Only then did he turn on his flashlight before slinging his bag back over his shoulders and climbing down the ladder into the waiting darkness.

There was a grunt as he hit bottom and he shined his light up into Cody's face. "Come on! You'll be fine, I promise."

Cody bit his lip, more than a little nervous. But he trusted Damien so he swung his leg over onto the ladder before climbing down a step.

"Don't forget to close the hatch!" called Sandow. He shined the light in a way so that Cody could see how to close the hatch, before making his descent. Once at the bottom, Cody sighed in relief. Then he noticed his surroundings. It was a tunnel. There were pipes, some overhead, but most along the sides of the walls which were made of stone. There was a sound that indicated water nearby and the tunnel smelled of must, mold, decay and other things.

Sandow saw Cody's confusion and grinned. "I did my first kill in these tunnels. You're the first person I've ever brought down here that wasn't prey."

At that Cody smiled, truly touched by that admission. "Wow Damien. I'm honored to be able to share this with you."

Sandow nodded before saying, "Follow me," and heading north. They walked for a bit, making a couple of turns before entering a chamber where the network of pipes met. Sandow set his bag down and Cody did the same. He turned on the lamps they bought that day and then set about turning on a flood lamp that was already in place.

With the chamber fully lit Cody was finally able to give it a good look. More pipes, and more stone and… Cody gasped loudly. Chained to a high overhead pipe was a nude man. There was a gag in his mouth and his wrists were raw and bleeding from struggling while he dangled. His eyes were wide with fear as they beseeched Cody for help. Cody whirled around to see Sandow doubled over with silent laughter.

"Surprise!" he said through a fit of giggles. "I picked him up last night for you."

Cody's jaw dropped before he laughed out loud himself. "When?! How?!"

Sandow walked forward before clapping Cody on the back. "Last night. I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd go out and find us our prey. Impressed?"

"Very," answered Cody. The fact that Sandow had gone to great lengths to set this up was nothing short of amazing. Cody smiled appreciatively at Sandow before turning his attention back to the man.

Sandow was feeling extremely proud of himself, but the night was only beginning. "Cody let's get everything set up and then we can get started." The two put thick aprons on over their clothes and put on rubber gloves. Sandow set up the portable disc player while Cody set out their chosen tools for the night.

When it became clear that the arrival of the new man didn't mean help, the nude man began to panic. He didn't want to die, and he for damn sure didn't want to die in as painful a death as it seemed those two planned for him. He didn't know what he was going to do, what he  _could_  do, but he was willing to try anything.

Sandow turned on the cd player, choosing a mixed cd that he'd compiled himself. The very first song was The Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss. When the music began he breathed in deep and exhaled before picking up his butterfly knife. Cody followed his lead and they both walked up to their prey where he hung.

Sandow looked down and saw that beneath his feet there was evidence that the man had urinated and defecated in his absence. His lip curled with disgust as he cut the gag out of the man's mouth.

"I see you have absolutely no home training whatsoever," muttered Sandow. Cody echoed his sentiment with a nod.

The man shook his head, surprised at the embarrassment he felt. "I'm sorry," he said roughly. He coughed a bit trying to clear his throat. "Look, what can I do? What can I do to make this right?"

This was a new unexpected reaction to being prey for Rhodes Scholars and neither man knew how to respond to that right off hand. They looked at each other thoughtfully. Encouraged, the man went on.

"I have money. I can make it so you never have to work again! You'd be set for life, and so would your children. I mean, they say money can't buy happiness, but I bet those people have been poor their whole lives." He looked from Damien to Cody trying hard to gauge their reactions.

A wicked smile curved Cody's lips and he turned back to their prey. "You know what? You're right. Money can't buy happiness. Happiness to us is your death and that won't cost us a dime." And with that he slashed the man across the chest. The man howled at the sudden red hot flash of pain. He felt the blood trickle down his abdomen, saw the glee on the faces of the two men before him and knew that he was going to die tonight.

Sandow laughed lightly at Cody taking the initiative and he began conducting his invisible orchestra while Cody continued to make the man scream. Dance of the Knights by Prokofiev began to play on the cd player and Sandow decided he wanted a piece of the action. He admired Cody's work for a moment before reaching down for a machete. Cody took a step back and watched as Sandow made several very long somewhat deep cuts along the man's back and sides.

They watched together as his blood ran in rivulets down his body mixing with the urine and feces on the stone floor. The man screamed and screamed; his throat sore and hoarse but unable to stop the pain was so great.

Sandow turned away, conducting again. "Take out his tongue Cody," he said with authority, not missing a beat.

Cody nodded and went to work on the man's mouth, still using the butterfly knife. It took more effort than Cody expected since the man kept trying to bite him but eventually he got it done. He discarded the ruined muscle on the stone floor, watching with interest as the man coughed and gagged on the blood filling his mouth. Suddenly the man's eyes rolled back in his head and he began to jerk violently.

"Oh shit! Damien! I think we're losing him!" cried Cody, alarmed.

Sandow turned around, startled. "Hmm… He's going into shock and having a seizure. He may not survive this. We'll have to wait and see." The two watched as for several minutes, the man twitched and shook, his body damn near tearing itself apart. When he finally stopped, they saw that he was still breathing but unconscious, blood continuing to pool out of his mouth in a steady stream.

"We should probably end this early Cody. He's simply not strong enough to play with for an extended period. Do you want to do the honors?" Sandow asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Cody raised his eyebrows. "Really?! Yes!" Cody put down the butterfly knife and picked up his own machete. He positioned it against the man's chest, right above his heart. He turned to look at Sandow who simply nodded encouragingly before he thrust the blade home. The man's eyes flew open almost as if he were startled. He fixed his glassy gaze on Cody before going limp, his final breath going out of him in one long gurgling sigh.

Cody sighed deeply, the release he felt was so tremendous he didn't know if he'd ever come down from this peak.

"Geez… Damien… Thank you. I… This has been an incredible night," gushed Cody. He simply could not believe that Damien had done this for him. So he was further surprised when Damien said,

"You're welcome Cody. But the night's not over yet. Grab the tools and follow me."

Cody did as he asked and Sandow picked up the lamps and cd player before leading the way. The took another turn, and another before ending up in a different chamber. Sandow went about setting up the lamps and the cd player letting the track Danse Macabre by Leopold Stokowski play, before turning on another flood lamp that he'd left down here the night before. With the chamber completely lit, Cody was set the tools on the ground before finally noticing Sandow's second surprise of the night.

There was a nude young woman chained spread eagled to a couple of pipes against the stone wall. She being rather short and the pipes rather high left her toes barely able to reach the floor. The cuffs dug into her wrists, but the chocolate color of her skin made it much harder to see the damage. She was alert, eyes wide and wet, but her cries were muffled by the gag in her mouth.

Cody froze. Hadn't he told Damien he wasn't ready to kill women just yet? Didn't Damien know how he felt about this? Why? Why was he doing this?

"You've…" Cody's voice failed him so he tried again. "You've been busy Damien," he said flatly. His brain was scrambling, trying to figure out how he was going to deal with this.

"Indeed I have," responded Sandow. His voice was neutral. Sandow could see that Cody was clearly shocked and upset. But they'd come this far. He had to see this through.  _They_ had to see this through.

Cody shook his head and took several steps back. "Damien… I…" Cody didn't finish but continued to shake his head vigorously.

Sandow, realizing he was going to have to take the lead here, picked up his butterfly knife and walked towards their prey. The woman visibly shook as he reached her, flinching as he cut the gag out of her mouth. She didn't speak, but stared at him wide eyed and frightened.

"This needs to happen Cody. Once you kill her, you'll understand why I choose them from time to time. Watch," commanded Sandow. With a quick flick of his wrist he slashed her upper right arm. She shrieked in pain and Sandow chuckled. Blood welled from the wound before dripping to the floor.

"See?" he asked. "Their skin is so pliable. I barely cut her at all." Again he slashed, this time at her left arm. Again she shrieked, this time her cry dissolving into sobs. Sandow was pleased at her restraint. Maybe he wouldn't have to cut out her tongue. Maybe he would do it anyway.

"Cody. Come." Sandow gestured for his partner to come closer.

Unable to ignore him, Cody did indeed come closer. Sandow reached down and handed Cody his own butterfly knife.

"Cut her Cody. Cut her like you cut him," said Damien pointing in the direction of their last kill.

Cody took another step forward but stopped. "I can't…" he whispered. "I can't do this."

Sandow's eyes narrowed. He was losing patience. "Sure you can," he replied before dropping his knife and grabbing Cody. The younger man gasped in surprise as Sandow manhandled him. Before he had time to think, he was pulled forcefully against Sandow's front with his left arm held behind his back with Damien's left while his right hand was out before him in a tight grip in Damien's right hand. Sandow twisted Cody's arm painfully, forcing him to close the distance between them and their prey.

"Now I said cut her!" yelled Sandow and he forced Cody to slash at the young woman. The woman screamed high and pitiful as the forced jab made a zig zag wound across her side. Cody closed his eyes as Sandow made him stab her again and again and again. The woman's screams echoed throughout the chamber and beyond but Sandow was unable to enjoy himself because it was clear that Cody was not enjoying it. He had expected some reluctance but the fact that Cody was still refusing to participate wasn't something he'd seen coming. Frustrated and annoyed Sandow shoved Cody to the ground in front of him, in front of their victim.

"It's time to finish this Cody," he said quietly.

Cody looked up at Sandow with something very close to hate in his eyes. "No Damien."

At that the older man paused. His nostrils flared like he smelled something rotten. "Excuse me?"

Cody stood up slowly and backed away from both Damien and their prey. "I said 'No' Damien. I mean it. I simply can't do this!" The last was said with a scream that only served to further enrage the older man.

"Fine," said Sandow tightly. He picked up the axe that had previously gone unused throughout the night. He stared into Cody's angry and hostile face before swinging the ax viciously. It hit the flesh of the woman's neck with a loud meaty thunk, severing her spinal column, killing her instantly. He dropped it and it clattered to the floor. Cody had turned away from Sandow, his shoulders shaking from either anger or tears, Damien didn't know. The older man sighed. And this evening had started out so wonderful too.

"Let's get this place cleaned up. Then we can go home."

 


	14. On Mute

The entire drive back to Damien's condo was silent. Inside the tunnel Cody had refused Damien eye contact while they disposed of the bodies. And he had pointedly avoided handling the remains of the woman while they completed the clean up. Throughout it all both men had ignored each other for various reasons, but the outcome was still the same.

Silence.

Damien tried to keep his eyes on the road but he was curious about his partner. Every so often he'd steal a glance with his peripherals and each time the sight was the same. Cody sat stiffly in his seat, arms folded across his chest, his jaw set stubbornly as he stared out the window.

The older man shook his head focusing back on the road. Cody would get over it. He'd tried to deepen his Shadow and he had failed. Damien was man enough to admit it. Clearly he and Cody weren't as similar as he thought. In the long run did it really matter? Was this going to become a problem for their partnership? Damien mulled things over in his mind for the rest of the drive. He and Cody were definitely going to have a talk about what happened.

When they finally made it to the underground garage Cody got out of the car and followed Sandow silently up to his condo. Once inside Cody quickly walked to the guest room and shut the door behind him. Damien was surprised. It wasn't like Cody to stay angry with him this long. Usually if he gave the younger man time to cool down he was back to his cheerful self.

Damien frowned with fisted hands on his hips at the hallway Cody had disappeared into. How long did he plan to keep this up? A minute later Sandow had his answer. Cody exited the room dressed in different clothes with his luggage and carry-on bag.

Damien tilted his head in confusion. "Now wait a minute! Where are you going?" he bellowed.

Cody stopped in his tracks and for the first time in over two hours, he looked at Damien. It was then that Sandow could see the damage his selfish actions had caused. The younger man had what looked like bruises underneath his eyes. He was pale and his mouth was set in a tight thin line. Cody looked tired. He looked haunted. But underneath it all he looked devastated. Cody stared at his partner for a long moment before shaking his head and walking out of the door.

Sandow could only watch him go. The look on his face…  _He'd_  done that to Cody. He was the reason that Cody left. He had caused this and now they were both paying for it. Sandow wrapped his right arm across his midsection tightly. His stomach suddenly felt full of lead and the older man took a deep breath before exhaling slowly.

"Cody… What have I done?" whispered Sandow. Saying the younger man's name out loud increased the weight in his gut. He had tried to bend Cody too far to his own will and had ended up breaking him and subsequently their partnership with a single forced swipe of a knife.

An hour and a half later found Cody Rhodes on a flight to the next city they were to meet up with the rest of their coworkers. He reclined in his seat once it was safe to do so but continued to shift restlessly. He couldn't stop thinking about Sandow and what had happened down in the tunnels.

Cody had thought that Damien cared for him, respected him but it became painfully clear that he only wanted to control him. He wanted Cody to be a carbon copy killer version of himself. Abruptly Cody's thoughts turned to their very first kill together. How nervous he was but determined to prove himself to Damien. Oh the rush! How high he'd flown when he and Damien slid their blades home and watched the light disappear from the eyes of their prey. There was nothing like it. But now Cody was done. As soon as the plane landed he was going to request the powers-that-be to dissolve their partnership. He wasn't going to let Damien Sandow force him to do anything ever again.


	15. It's Me Again

Cody slumped on the bench in the locker room at their next venue. He hadn't slept in forty-eight hours and it showed. He had been told that dissolving the partnership with Damien wasn't possible at this point in time. But as a compromise they were to have singles matches for the next few weeks. That was good enough for now. It was going to be a little easier to avoid the man, if only for a little while.

Randy Orton walked into the locker room and spied Cody on the bench nearest the showers. Randy's eyes narrowed as he observed his former best friend. With a slight smirk on his face, he walked over to Cody.

Standing over the younger man he asked, "Where's your partner? Trouble in paradise?"

Cody glanced up at him wearily. Ignoring the attitude he replied, "Something like that."

"Well you need to get your head in the game. We have a match tonight. Go to catering, grab an energy drink and get ready, alright?"

Cody nodded before standing and walking out of the locker room. Once alone Randy chuckled to himself. Cody wasn't known to stay in a funk for long. Whatever had happened between that jackass and Cody had to be pretty serious for him to be so down. Randy sat down and began preparing for their match while also contemplating the situation between Cody and Damien. Something about Sandow really rubbed Orton the wrong way but when he had found nothing out of interest during their clubbing a few months ago he had decided to let it go. Now that Cody and Damien's friendship appeared to have ended rather abruptly Randy's interest was piqued once more. He'd get down to the bottom of it and hopefully manage to irk Sandow in the process. That last thought made the Viper laugh out loud as he finished oiling himself up.

Thirty minutes later found Cody and Randy walking back to the locker room together. Their match had gone surprisingly well. Cody had managed to hold his own for most of the match, proving to be just as formidable as Randy remembered in spite of the fact it was scripted that he would win.

"Wow Randy, that was actually fun," said Cody with a laugh.

Orton grinned at him. "Well I did take it easy on you. After all, I  _am_  the Viper. I could have wiped the mat with you, but I didn't."

Cody raised an eyebrow. "Please! I took it easy on  _you_! I mean, I did dive headfirst into that damn RKO instead of nailing you with my disaster kick."

At that Randy let out a surprised bark of laughter. "True, true," he said nodding. They entered the locker room and Randy noticed Damien at his locker at the far end, watching them. Amused, he turned to Cody and asked, "Hey, you doing anything tonight?"

Cody reached into his locker and threw on a t-shirt. "No man. I'm so damn tired… But I guess I could use a drink."

Randy clapped Cody on back. "Good, meet me in the hotel lobby in an hour."

Cody nodded and finished dressing. He didn't notice Sandow watching him, listening to their conversation. He simply grabbed his bag and walked out of the locker room.

Damien stood there, silently seething. He had been looking for an opportunity to talk to Cody for a couple days now. Because of their now conflicting schedules it had been hard to even catch a glimpse of the younger man. But now here he was, ignoring him and making plans to spend time with Orton, the meddlesome asshole. After a moment Sandow sighed. He just  _had_  to talk to Cody and if it meant interrupting Orton and his play-date then so be it.

At exactly an hour later Cody found himself in the lobby of his hotel. He had dressed casually for this after taking such a hot and relaxing shower that he'd almost fallen asleep under the spray.

Cody shook his head groaning a little. He knew better than to arrive on time when meeting Randy. It had become engrained to show up on time in the few months since his partnership with Damien began. Annoyed with Damien's lingering influence Cody frowned. "I don't know why I agreed to this," he mumbled to himself. Randy wasn't known for being prompt. Just as Cody started to leave he caught sight of his former best friend waving him over. He followed him into the hotel restaurant and they both sat on stools in front of the bar. For the first few minutes the two men bantered back and forth drinking their beer and taking a couple shots, just shooting the shit. The conversation stayed light, but Randy was patient. He was confident that he'd get Cody to spill something about his and Sandow's situation.

Randy took a swallow of his beer before looking in Cody's eyes. The exhaustion was plain on his face and it was obvious the alcohol was having an effect as well.

"So… You never did tell me what's going on between you and Sandow," said Randy peering at Cody from over the rim of his glass.

Cody gave a suffering sigh. "He's… controlling. That's like… my least favorite quality… among people… including you."

At that Randy raised a brow before shrugging. "What can I say? I enjoy things and people a certain way. My way. But I guess Sandow didn't make you streak at a pool party did he?"

Cody laughed loudly. "God… I wish you wouldn't bring that up. I could never look those people in the face ever again!" But then the younger man sobered, his next words coming out a little slurred. "No… he made me do something terrible... He knew how I felt! But forced me anyway..." The words tumbled out of Cody's mouth before he could stop them. Frustrated, he put his head in his hands.

Randy leaned back on the stool, intrigued. He could only imagine what caused Cody such regret. "Let me guess. You sucked his dick?"

Cody's head snapped up, his eyes wide. He stared at Randy shocked but still a faint flush rose to his cheeks. Randy's eyes widened as well, Cody's reaction to his question was more than enough answer for him.

"I see…" started Randy.

"No… you don't," said Cody quietly. After a long pause he stood. "I'm going to the restroom," he said before walking away. Randy sat there vaguely stunned. Had Sandow forced himself on Cody? Randy frowned into his beer. If they were no longer friends or partners or whatever, did that mean the situation was settled? As Randy tried to mull over the past few minutes he noticed someone coming up on his left. When he turned and saw who it was, he couldn't help the shit-eating grin that split his lips.

"Nice to see you Sandow. We were just talking about you," said the Viper, still grinning.

Sandow's face was dark. "You should go. I need to talk to Cody."

Randy raised an eyebrow the smile disappearing from his face. "Not going to happen Sandow because right now,  _I'm_  talking to Cody."

"Listen Orton, you don't have any idea of who you're dealing with." Sandow's stance was threatening. He couldn't believe the audacity of the Viper.

Randy chuckled but not like he was amused. "You know what Sandow? I think the problem here is that you don't know when to back the fuck off. And that's why Cody hates your ass. And right now I'm thinking about rekindling our friendship." Randy leaned forward and whispered, "It never did go as  _deep_  as it could have before. Second time's the charm right?"

The double meaning wasn't lost on Sandow. He moved so quickly that Randy didn't see it coming. He grabbed the bar stool Orton was sitting on and yanked. Randy crashed to the floor landing hard on his back. Before he had a chance to react Sandow landed a vicious kick to his ribs.

"You are  _not_  taking him away from me!" hissed Sandow before kicking him again. "Cody is  _mine_!" Randy tried to stop the onslaught of kicks but Sandow was unrelenting. Suddenly Sandow found himself on the floor his breath leaving him in a long 'whoosh' of pain. Cody was standing over him holding a chair. In spite of the pain Sandow wilted inside at the look on his former partner's face.

Cody was enraged. His face was red, his jaw was clenched and his eyes were narrowed. How dare he do this! Cody gripped the chair tightly holding it up higher. He stared at Sandow with such vehemence it took the older man's breath away.

"Leave," hissed Cody. "Leave now."

Sandow hesitated. He desperately wanted to talk to Cody, to apologize but he knew this wasn't the way to do it. Damn Orton for getting under his skin like that! He glanced at Orton still on the floor in front him but slowly getting to his feet. The Viper winked at him before standing next to Cody. With one hand he held his damaged midsection. The other hand he slid behind Cody, gripping the back of his neck, all the while keeping his eyes on Sandow.

"It's okay man. Put the chair down, I think we're done here," said Randy. Cody did as he said, suddenly weary.

To Sandow, Randy said, "You better hope I don't report your ass to Vince for this."

Cody rolled his eyes, unbelievably tired all of a sudden. "It would serve him right if you did."

Randy removed his hand from the back of Cody's neck to leave a generous tip for the bartender whom throughout the entire scene had watched with interest. "Thanks for not calling the cops," said Randy with a wry smile. The bartender nodded, glad the restaurant was empty or he would've had to do just that.

"Let's go Cody," said Randy who once more gripped the back of the younger man's neck while giving Sandow an intensely knowing look. He steered Cody as they both left the area.

Randy's display of dominance wasn't lost on Sandow. He stood slowly to get his bearings. Cody had really walloped him and the older man rolled his shoulders back trying to alleviate the pain. With as much dignity as he could muster, Damien walked out of the restaurant. By the time he reached the lobby his hands were shaking. He knew what Randy was trying to do and damn if he didn't fall into the man's trap! Damien took a deep breath, fighting against the sea of red before his eyes. He had to hunt tonight. There was no way around it. He was so full of rage that his Shadow threatened to consume him. The last time that had happened he'd gotten sloppy. So tonight, while he had some semblance of control he'd hunt and relieve the pressure. Some poor hooker was going to suffer dearly tonight.

As Sandow made his way back to his room to get ready he seethed. The thought had been circling his brain since Randy's display in the locker room earlier in the evening. Could he really break his own rule because of jealousy? Yes… Damien grinned the more he thought about it. He was strongly considering killing Randy Orton.

 


	16. Lay In Wait

Damien stood over the mangled body of the fair-skinned prostitute for several minutes, simply taking in the coppery smell of her blood while listening to the last few measures of Danse Macabre. Abruptly he shook his head.

"This isn't right," he said as he stared at her. "Of course this wasn't your fault you understand. I haven't done this by myself in so long that I'm a little out of practice."

The woman stirred and moaned but then fell silent. Damien admired his handiwork, truly beautiful for how much rage he had bottled up but it simply wasn't the same. He had tried mimicking the slices and cuts of his partner but it wasn't quite right. And because it wasn't quite right he'd gotten frustrated. And because he'd gotten frustrated he'd lost control and had started slashing at her wildly, screaming wordlessly and losing his usually ever present calm and focus. The woman had indeed suffered and at best Sandow only felt mildly better. His Shadow was only minimally satisfied. Clearly he wasn't going to be able to do this without Cody. Not anymore.

He tilted his head to the side as he stared at the woman's sweaty, bruised and bloody face.

"What can I do?" he asked partially to himself and partially to the semi-conscious woman. "He won't see me, he won't talk to me. Hell he hit me with a chair! A chair!" Sandow said the last incredulously. That Cody had physically assaulted him had opened his eyes in a way nothing else would have. He had taken Cody's eagerness for granted. He was a great killer; that much was certain. But until today Sandow had mistakenly assumed that he was the reason for Cody's enthusiasm for torture and murder. No. He was dangerous all on his own, Sandow had simply brought it out of him.

The last thought made Sandow smile genuinely for the first time in days. Yes, he had brought it out, Cody's Shadow. And the Shadow couldn't be tucked away and forgotten about once it was unleashed.

Damien chuckled and shook his head. "He has to come to me eventually. He'll need to hunt, to kill and sooner or later he'll realize it. But I know how stubborn he is and I'm not sure I can wait that long." Damien sighed. "Fine, I'll keep trying. I need Cody to come to me before he loses control. And then, maybe I can finally deal with Mr. Orton. Hmm… maybe we can deal with Mr. Orton together."

Flipping the butterfly knife open he stood over the unfortunate prostitute smiling dementedly. She opened the eye that wasn't swollen shut to find him poised and ready to strike. She let out one final shriek as Damien slit her throat from ear to ear. There was a bit of spray on the initial puncture and her blood hit his apron with a wet smack. The sound sent shivers down his spine.

Damien straightened and tilted his head back, reveling in the fresh kill beneath him.

"I have to remember to do this again with Cody. The sound… The flow and spray… He'll love it."

Later that night…

It had been several hours since the confrontation in the hotel lobby. Cody shifted and started to put his head under the pillow when he realized that a sound had woken him up. Quickly he sat up and fumbled for the bedside lamp.

"Damien?!" he called. Finally hitting the right button the room was bathed in a soft glow. Glancing towards the window he gasped.

"Nope, not  _Damien_ ," said Randy leaning forward and tenting his fingers.

Cody rubbed at his eyes and frowned. "How long have you been here Randy?"

Randy's looked down and chuckled. "Not long. You were dead on your feet so I dropped you off, went to my room for a bit and came back to check on you."

Cody sighed and shook his head. "You can be creepy as hell Randy. I didn't like this years ago and I don't like it now."

The Viper grinned slowly and shrugged as if to say 'Welp! What can you do?' Out loud he said, "Come on, a guy's gotta do something to pass the time." In actuality Randy had been perusing through Cody's cellphone while he slept. When he found nothing incriminating or of interest at all, he had indeed watched the younger man sleep. He had found himself thinking about the past, when he, Cody and DiBiase had been the unstoppable force known as Legacy. During that time, as stressful as it was, Randy had enjoyed being the leader. He'd grown close to the younger men in a way that would not have been possible were it not for that storyline. In particular he'd enjoyed the way Cody had looked to him for encouragement and guidance. In a way, he supposed he could understand at least partially why Sandow seemed to be so fond of Cody. The  _other_  reason that Cody let slip last night was intriguing to Randy. And so he had sat and watched the younger man sleep, wondering… imagining… and soon he had found himself aroused as well. He didn't know when but soon he was going to satisfy his curiosity about one Cody Rhodes.

Cody yawned loudly before glancing at the clock. "Seriously Randy, can you please get out of here? I have to be up in 3 hours to make the drive to the next city."

"No you don't," countered Randy as he stood and stretched. "Get your stuff. You can ride with me. I've got an extra bunk so you can sleep the whole way if you want."

Cody cocked his head to the side staring at Randy in disbelief. "Really? You want me to ride with you?"

Randy rolled his eyes dramatically. "Look, if you'd rather drive…"

"No! No. Okay I'm coming. I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes." Cody dragged himself out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweat pants.

Randy nodded and walked out of the room. Once in the hallway he smiled to himself. Boy was Sandow, the high and mighty asshole, going to be pissed.


	17. Open Up

Cody slept for the entire drive to the next city. While he didn't exactly feel safe with Randy (but then again, who did?) the exhaustion finally caught with him. His eyes slammed shut the moment he laid down and they didn't open again for hours.

For the first time since Cody started spending time with him, Orton did not try to invade his privacy. After all, the younger man was now on  _his_  tour bus. As far as he was concerned, Randy had won. He'd succeeded in pissing off Damien Sandow while simultaneously knocking him down a peg and had scored points with Cody in the process. The game was not completely over though. Randy wanted everything that Damien had had with Cody and that included sex. Even now as he glanced at Cody he was picturing him on his knees giving Randy one of the few things he loved most in the world. The thought made Randy smile as he reached between his thighs and adjusted himself. Soon. Hell, if he continued to push the concerned best friend act then perhaps before the end of the week.

Because of how early they left that morning, they reached the next city with several hours to spare before show time. Randy decided he wanted to stop somewhere to eat and had the driver take them to a local restaurant where they weren't likely to be spotted by overzealous fans. Once they were parked Orton set about waking up Cody. Not one to be gentle Orton shook Cody fairly hard causing the younger man to flail an arm out wildly that he only just managed to duck.

"Shit!" cursed Randy. "Watch it! It's just me!"

Cody's eyes shot open but when he spied Orton he looked down while shaking his head. "Ah, geez, I'm sorry Randy. Maybe you shouldn't attack people in their sleep if you don't want a punch in the face."

Orton opened his mouth but then closed it, worried he might say something to ruin all the progress he'd made. Instead he shook his head and said, "Look, I'm hungry. Do you want to eat or what?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming," replied Cody as he slid out of the bunk. He put his shoes on and followed Randy out of the bus and across the parking lot. Luckily, he noticed that the restaurant was mostly empty and because it was early afternoon, brunch was still available. The hostess seated them at booth against the far wall and shortly thereafter a waitress came to take their orders. For a time they two just sat in companionable silence as they glanced, from time to time, at the tv over the bar. In less than thirty minutes their food arrived.

Randy ate ravenously, spearing his food quickly before savagely biting into each piece. He was making quick work of his steak though he still appeared to be savoring every bite. Cody stopped eating to stare at Randy, fascinated. He reminded Cody of Damien in a way. His ex-partner would eat just as voraciously after a kill. To see Orton doing something similar to Sandow actually was actually rather comforting. So much so that Cody reached across the table with his fork and snagged a piece of steak off Randy's plate. Before he could bring his stolen steak up to his mouth Randy quickly reached over the table and grabbed his wrist.

The two men sat like that a moment, frozen in place. Cody raised an eyebrow at The Viper, startled that he was squeezing his wrist. Orton continued to glare at Cody but when he realized that he wasn't going to back down or flinch he let go of his wrist but didn't break eye contact.

Cody stared into Randy's eyes as he popped the piece of steak in his mouth. He wasn't quite sure why he was challenging Randy like this. He knew that it wasn't healthy or smart but he couldn't help it.

 _"_ _Damien would have laughed," thought Cody._  He remembered a time that they were eating in some hotel restaurant. He'd commented on how a piece of chicken on Damien's plate looked delicious before quickly stealing a piece. Damien had feigned anger but had chuckled before giving Cody several more pieces off his plate.

Cody groaned inwardly at the memory. He admittedly missed Sandow. And last night when he hit him with the chair actually had very little to do with Sandow assaulting Randy. It was a snowball effect of frustration and hurt feelings and betrayal unleashed at once. But still he felt badly about it. And yet he couldn't bring himself to go back to the older man and so he found himself accepting Randy Orton's unusual display of hospitality and friendship.

Randy stopped glaring at Cody when he saw the younger man wasn't paying attention to him anymore. He was lost in thought it seemed and Randy figured it probably had something to do with Sandow. Shaking his head, he continued eating.

Later that night after the show, Cody met up with Randy inside the locker room. He was already dressed and ready so he was waiting on Randy to finish dressing so they could leave. When he stood with his bag he managed to catch sight of Damien leaving the showers. The older man had a towel wrapped around his hips, his tanned body still sprinkled with droplets of water. Cody couldn't stop staring. He was transported back to their first and only night together. He could almost feel Damien's body against his… his lips against his… how full he felt… satisfied and… Randy dropped his deodorant and cursed loudly startling Cody out of revelry. It was then that he realized that Damien had been staring right back at him the entire time. He held Cody's gaze a moment, a knowing look on his face. Flustered, Cody turned his back on Damien. Luckily Randy was ready to leave and he followed the Viper out of the locker room.

Back on the tour bus Cody sat on his bunk thinking heavily about Sandow and what had transpired over the past week. It occurred to Cody that he never did ask Orton what Damien had wanted last night. Perhaps he had come to talk to Cody but that didn't explain why they'd gotten into a fight. Well the fight was pretty one sided as he'd arrived to witness Randy being kicked repeatedly by Damien. The more Cody thought about the situation, the more he realized it didn't quite make sense. He had been so tired last night that he'd just accepted what was happening without question. But seriously, what the hell happened between those two?

"Hey! Rhodes, what's going on? You've been the thinking man all day," said Randy coming from his room. The Viper was dressed in a nice shirt and slacks.

Ignoring his question, Cody asked one of his own. "Where are you going?"

"To one of the classiest strip clubs in the area. And you're coming too. Get dressed, we're almost there," responded Orton.

Cody started tell Orton he wasn't up to it, but from the look on his face arguing was pointless. Cody gave a long suffering sigh as he changed clothes. Fully dressed he saw Randy give him a nod of approval before they climbed off the bus. Cody was surprised, he'd seen the building before on trips through this city but you wouldn't know it was a strip club from a casual glance. Randy gave him a wicked grin as if he knew what he was thinking as they walked inside.

The dancers didn't crowd them anxiously as they had when Randy had taken Rhodes Scholar's out clubbing. It was clear that these women were used to having men of status around so everyone got great service. Right off the bat Orton ordered several shots for the both of them, pleased when Cody took them quickly with no hesitation. After a second and then third round of shots, they sat at an open booth and Orton paid for two lap dances. Both men enjoyed themselves but it seemed as if Cody was holding back. This time he ordered two more shots just for Cody hoping to get the younger man to loosen up.

After they'd spent an hour up front, one of the girls asked if they'd like to go in the back. Orton grinned lecherously at her before standing and following her while dragging a reluctant, albeit drunk Cody behind him.

Things started off as they had out front, with both men receiving a lap dance. Since they were out of public view the women were nude before the dance was done. Randy had already lost his shirt and belt. When he looked to the side to see if Cody was enjoying it as much as himself he was not surprised to see the other woman sitting next to him instead of his lap, stroking his chest while talking to him. Annoyed, Randy pushed the woman off of him before snatching his wallet out and throwing money at the two. The woman who had been pleasuring Randy looked just as annoyed but the one with Cody looked at him rather sympathetically before they both walked out.

Randy stared at Cody a moment failing at keeping the hostility off his face. "Could you at least pretend to like pussy?!"

Orton's outburst actually surprised Cody into laughing. "Look… I don't know what to tell you. She was nice so I wanted to talk to her," said Cody still chuckling. There was a definite slur to his words and his lids were heavy.

Randy shook his head the trademark Viper smirk curling his lips. "You always were a talkative drunk." A thought visibly worked its way across his face and Randy grinned wider. "Come here," he said crooking his finger.

Without a second thought Cody rose and stood in front of Randy. The alcohol had his body warm all over and compliance wasn't a problem. He looked up into Randy's face and wasn't quite sure what he was seeing. At least not until Randy put his hand on his shoulder and forced him to his knees.

"I know what you want Cody, 'cause I want it too," murmured The Viper. He unzipped his pants and pulled them and his underwear down to mid-thigh.

Even though he was thoroughly drunk, Cody hesitated. He thought about Damien and their first night together. But abruptly his thoughts turned to the night in the tunnels and how Damien had forced him to stab that woman. Cody frowned. He was through being forced. And with that last angry thought, he took hold of the Viper's thick warm hardness.

Randy hissed at the contact, Cody's callused hands a stark contrast to the soft feminine hands he was used to.

"Just open up and take it in," he whispered. When he felt himself sucked into the warm wetness that was Cody's mouth he nearly came from that alone.

As inexperienced as Cody was with this he found a rhythm rather quickly and judging from the sounds Randy made he discovered how much suction to use and where to place his tongue. In the back of his mind he felt like he was cheating on Damien, making their hunts, kills and intimacy seem meaningless. But he soldiered on, taking a little pleasure in making Randy go crazy with lust.

Orton's sighs and moans filled the room and he thought he might burst. If this was what Sandow was getting, no wonder he wanted Cody back so bad! Deciding that he wanted this to last longer he stepped back, perversely relishing the loud pop made by his dick leaving Cody's mouth. Cody sat back on his heels and licked his lips before wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. He was wearing an expression Randy was well accustomed to seeing on some of his conquests, shame.

Almost instantly Cody felt bad. He was disgusted with himself for letting Randy goad him into sucking him off. With a sigh he stood and turned to leave. Right as he made it to the door he felt himself shoved into the wall, with Randy pressing hard into his back.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Orton.

Cody tried to push back away from the wall but was unsuccessful. "I'm going back to the bus and lay down. I'm done with this Randy and I just want to go to sleep. Now let me go!"

Randy laughed and it was an evil sound. He grabbed a fistful of Cody's hair and pulled his head back at an excruciating angle causing the younger man to gasp in pain.

"You may be done, but  _I'm_  not," hissed Randy and he pulled Cody away from the wall, attempting to throw him back to the floor. The younger man spun on his heel and threw a panicked punch, hitting Randy in the chest which wasn't very effective. Randy smirked before punching Cody in the face. Cody windmilled trying not to fall but landed on his butt, the punch and the abundance of alcohol in his system working against him. He tried to get back up but suddenly Orton was on top of him, punching him again and again. Cody's bell was well and truly rung and darkness crept in. He moaned trying hard to fight the black wave that threatened to take him under. When was finally able to focus Orton had Cody's pants and underwear down to his knees and was trying to flip him over. Cody began struggling more but it was to no avail. He found himself on his stomach with Randy's heavy body pinning his.

"No! Randy please… don't!" cried Cody.

Randy didn't respond, he was too far gone to care that Cody was no longer a willing participant.

Cody started to beg, to plead for Randy to not do it but suddenly he felt a searing pain that took his breath away. Cody tried to buck, to fight but his limbs didn't seem to want to work right. Randy pounded himself savagely inside Cody, the situation he found himself in a huge aphrodisiac. He thrived on Cody's pain, his humiliation, his shame. He thrived on the fact that he was defiling that high and mighty asshole's beloved partner.

"You like this Cody. You know you like this!" panted Randy. He almost laughed at the half whimper, half sob that Cody gave in response as he continued to try and throw Randy off. Randy continued nonplussed working towards his orgasm.

Moments later (that felt like an eternity to Cody), Randy pumped his hips harder and faster. "I'm gonna come in you. I'm gonna come in your fucking ass," hissed Orton. He felt it, a tightening low in his gut and slammed into Cody one last time making the younger man grunt. "You take it! You fucking take it," he growled. He shuddered feeling utterly spent. He pulled out of Cody staring at his blood stained dick with interest. He wiped the offending liquid off with his hand and smacked Cody's ass with it. The younger man crawled away from Orton on his hands and knees, struggling to pull up his pants and underwear as he went.

Orton watched Cody do this and he couldn't help himself. He laughed. He laughed loudly, tickled by the absurdity. It was just sex! The same as Cody had had with Damien. What was the big fucking deal? Wasn't sex with men always like this?

Cody stared at the Viper warily, worried he might try something else. When he didn't, Cody stumbled past him, pulled open the door and fell into the hallway. Tears started in his eyes but he fought to keep them at bay. He still had to walk out in front of everyone to get to the bus outside. Weakly he leaned against the wall. He was about to walk through the curtain when the stripper that he had been talking with came through with a client. She took one look at his face before grabbing his arm and leading him out the back. She'd seen that look before, more than once and had a pretty good idea of what had happened between him and the man he came in with. She didn't say a word as she ushered him out the back door.

To the muscular doorman she said, "I'll be right back. I'm going to help him to his car. Don't let that tall tan fellow out until I come back." The doorman nodded and closed the door behind them.

She had her arm around Cody's waist, trying to hold him up.

"Where are you parked?"

Cody held up a shaking hand and pointed to the obscenely large tour bus not too far from where they were standing. The woman raised an eyebrow but helped him on board. She started to lay him down on the bunk when he balked.

"No! I can't stay here…" And Cody grabbed his bags, hesitating briefly before he let the stripper carry one of them for him.

"Here, come with me," she said, leading him to the street alongside the club. It was lined with cabs, waiting just in case a drunk high roller needed a ride home. She helped Cody into the back seat and handed his bags off to the driver who put them in the trunk.

She leaned into the window and put a hand on Cody's cheek. "He'll take you to the nearest hotel, okay?"

Cody nodded slowly, not really giving her eye contact.

The woman paused; worried about what might happen once he was alone. "Do you need money? I've got a little that I can help you with." She pulled out several fifty dollar bills from her bra and attempted to hand them to him.

"No… thank you. I can pay. I'm okay," whispered Cody.

At that she cocked her head to the side. "No honey, you most certainly are  _not_  okay. I think you should tell that Damien fellow you were telling me about earlier about what just happened in there."

Cody shook his head slowly before turning and giving her a weak smile. "I can't. He'll kill him."

The woman smiled gently and shrugged. "Maybe someone should."


	18. Well Deserved Reunion

When Cody arrived at his new hotel room he was not prepared. He wasn't prepared to be alone again. The hotel room seemed  _so_  empty and it made his aching loneliness worse. He felt disgusting, inside and out. It seemed as if every bad thing that had happened to him over the past few days was a result of his bad decisions.  _He_  had chosen to leave Sandow.  _He_  had chosen to travel with Randy. Hell, he had chosen Randy  _over_  Sandow. He'd chosen to suck Randy's dick. He had been angry with Sandow for trying to force his Shadow and had sucked Randy off to get back at him. In return he was raped by a man he used to call friend.

_"I deserved that too," thought Cody._

Cody sighed as he set his bags down and stripped. He was going to throw the clothes away. He'd burn them if he could. When he removed his underwear he couldn't help but look at it. There were streaks of blood and what appeared to be Randy's semen. Cody gagged and threw them to the floor. In the cab ride to the hotel he'd felt Orton's come leaking out of him and Cody had begun dry-heaving. The cabbie stopped the car twice but to his relief Cody had managed to keep his stomach contents down.

Now as he walked into the bathroom and switched on the light he stared at the reflection. His left eye was swelling rapidly and already a nice shade of purple. His bottom lip was split as well. Seeing the injuries somehow made his face hurt worse.

"I let him do this to me," Cody whispered to his reflection. "I deserve this."

Tears started and this time Cody didn't fight them. His head dropped to his chest as he gripped the sides of the sink and he cried. His shoulders shook with the power of his frantic sobs that echoed back at him in the small bathroom. It was a while before he could stop. A slightly calmer Cody Rhodes climbed into the shower, turned the water on as hot as he could stand it and scrubbed. He was totally clean within five minutes but he stayed under the shower's spray for much longer than that. After he left the shower he couldn't help but glance at his reflection one more time. The hot shower had actually made his eye look worse and Cody growled. In a sudden rage he grabbed the hairdryer from its holster and struck the mirror. It cracked on the first try but on the second it shattered. He dropped the hairdryer and walked into the bedroom.

Cody dropped the towel and pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms before climbing into bed. Emotions were warring within him, his depression, his shame and his rage all fighting for dominance. Suddenly it came to him. Instantly he knew what would make him feel better, though he knew it wasn't a permanent solution.

"I need to hunt," murmured Cody aloud to himself. Just the thought of a hunt made the abuse he'd suffered at the hands of Randy Orton take a backset to some of his fonder memories. And they all included Sandow.

"I miss him… and I want us to hunt together again. And then I can forget…"

Determined Cody called the front desk of the hotel and found out what room Damien Sandow was in. When he found out he grabbed his card key, shoved his feet in some shoes and went out the door.

Damien groaned when insistent knocking at the door woke him up. Squinting he glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. Four a.m.? Who could possibly be banging on the door for him at this hour? Thoroughly pissed Damien rolled out of bed and stalked to the door. He undid the lock and flung the door open not thinking to use the peephole first. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw his former partner standing there.

Cody stared at Sandow, his mind suddenly blank. The older man stood there looking at him but not saying a word.

"Umm… I… This… was a mistake," blurted Cody. "I'm sorry." And he turned to leave until Damien grabbed his arm and yanked him inside the hotel room and closed the door. He released Cody's arm and took a couple steps back. He took note of the black eye and split lip. He had seen Cody earlier in the day and his face was unblemished. Now he was here, alone. Sandow fought to keep the frown from forming on his face. He knew that Orton had something to do with Cody's condition so it was with great restraint that he kept his questions to himself.

Cody huddled in on himself not really sure what to say or what to do. But in the end he didn't have to do anything. Damien closed the distance between the two and enveloped Cody in a tight hug. The younger man's body sagged against Sandow in relief.

"I'm so terribly sorry Cody," whispered Sandow. He rubbed Cody's bare back before squeezing another hug out of him. "I never should have tried to force you into something you weren't ready for. It won't happen again." Damien released Cody and looked into his eyes. "Forgive me?"

In spite of how much this apology meant to Cody he couldn't bring himself to smile after the nights events. He simply nodded in response. "I forgive you Damien."

Damien smiled and it was beatific. His gaze kept landing on Cody's bruised eye and split lip but now wasn't the time to discuss it. He had missed the younger man but he wasn't going to push, especially not now. Instead he crossed the room and got back into bed. Sandow reached over and pulled the covers back before gesturing to Cody.

"Come to bed. Please," he said.

Cody hesitated. He trusted Damien not to molest him but still he worried. He glanced back up at Damien whose face hadn't changed. Still pleasant and neutral. Finally, after a long moment Cody went and climbed into bed with Sandow. Cautiously Sandow wrapped an arm around Cody's waist and he was pleased to hear the younger man give a contented sigh as his body relaxed against his. Sandow reached for the lamp with his other hand when he felt Cody tense.

"Leave it on. Please Damien," whispered Cody.

"Okay I will. Good night Cody," replied Sandow.

"'Night Damien."

Sandow stared at the back of Cody's head while he spooned him. He had heard real fear in his voice when he asked him to leave the light on. And his face… Cody looked as if he'd gone rounds with a boxer. It had to be Orton. Cody simply didn't let other people get close to him like that. What the hell had happened between those two?


	19. Respecting Vengeful Wishes

Sandow awoke first the next morning an hour or so before his alarm clock was set to go off. In spite of having his partner back he had slept fitfully. Thoughts of inflicting immeasurable pain upon Randy Orton (that had been plaguing him ever since Cody first left him) barred him from getting a decent night's sleep. Cody, on the other hand, slept like the dead. He never stirred, not once. If Sandow's arm hadn't been around his waist he would've worried that the younger man was still breathing.

Sandow sighed deeply before turning and glancing at the clock. Seeing that he had some time before the alarm went off he made a mental check list of available places to perform a kill tonight. He wanted… no  _needed_  this time with Cody and he hoped that it would help repair their bond. Sandow grinned to himself as he thought of the perfect location and the tools that they would use. He had every intention of earning Cody's trust and faith in him back. The fact that Cody came to him at all last night was a huge step Sandow's mind and so surprising him with a hunt today could only make things move along more quickly.

The alarm beeped loudly and Sandow rolled over and sat up before turning it off. Cody rolled onto his back, struggling to fully wake as he blinked up at the older man. Damien couldn't help the grin that formed on his face. This was only the second time that they'd slept together and the first time that they woke up together. However tickled he was by Cody's early morning struggle it was replaced with anger at the marks on his face. But as of last night, Damien decided that he would not be the one to mention the bruises and split lip. If he knew Cody at all, the younger man would spill all and soon.

"Good morning," intoned Damien warmly as he nodded at Cody.

The barest hint of smile touched Cody's lips. "Good morning Damien." Cody sat up slowly, trying hard not to groan at the sudden onslaught of aches and pains he attributed to his assault by Randy last night.

Damien saw Cody wince as he moved but opted not to speak about it. Instead he said, "I thought that since we have nowhere of importance to be today that we'd hunt. I have several locations in this city at our disposal. If that's alright with you?"

Cody raised an eyebrow at the question as if to say, 'Don't be ridiculous!' before grinning, split lip be dammed. "Of course it's okay! I… honestly Damien… I really missed spending time with you. Hunting is only one of many things I missed. I hope that today we can wipe away the bad memories of our last time together."

Damien rubbed his beard while he gazed thoughtfully at Cody. "It wasn't all unpleasant, was it?"

Cody shook his head quickly. "No not at all! I mean the night started out beautifully! You really don't understand how happy I was until we got to the woman. You had taken me to your first kill location, to a place that was obviously special to you. You went to great lengths to bring our prey down there, to have him ready just for me. You let me end his life…." And Cody paused feeling himself get choked up as he reminisced.

"You allowed me to kill him on my own and it felt amazing! It was such a rush! I had never flown so high before…"

Cody closed his eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling slowly and continued. "But then you ruined it all by trying to force me to kill that woman. I don't know what you were trying to prove but bullying me, forcing me..." Cody frowned, shaking his head after he said that last. He had been wanting to get that off his chest from the moment he could articulate in words how he felt. And now that he had, he watched Damien carefully trying to gauge his reaction.

Damien actually looked contrite, more so than he had when he apologized earlier. "I was wrong Cody. I meant what I said last night and I'm sorry I overstepped your boundaries." Sandow ran his hand back through his hair before continuing. "I suppose I wanted to prove that I knew better than you what you wanted and needed from your Shadow. Clearly it was a major oversight on my part. It won't happen again. From now on our prey will always be chosen together. Deal?" Damien stuck out his hand.

Cody shook his hand and smiled a genuinely pleased smile. "Deal."

After driving by and checking to see if it was still a viable location to prep for their kill, Damien decided on an old abandoned restaurant. In order to use it to its full capabilities they were going to need gasoline to start the backup generators. But it was going to be perfect once they set everything up. Cody couldn't help but be impressed with their new locale. It seemed that Damien had some of the most creative killing grounds and he always made the most use of the space involved.

Seeing as how it was pretty early in the day they decided to go to a strip mall nearby in hopes of spotting potential prey. The two men walked along, their inconspicuous clothing helping them to blend in among the other shoppers and mall goers. They were focused on finding that one special person, their agreed upon prey for the evening. Eventually they came across an employee in a men's clothing store. At the register stood a tall, dark haired man with a hint of stubble across his jawline. They watched as he spoke condescendingly to the other employees and even a couple customers. He was blatantly refusing to be of assistance though he was clearly in charge.

Smirking, Damien turned to look at Cody. The younger man was almost glaring at the employee and Sandow tapped him forcing him to reign it in.

"I think he'll do just fine for tonight. Cody?"

"Agreed," replied Cody with a nod.

Damien glanced at his watch. "It's coming up on lunch time. We need to find out where he's parked. I'll head out back, you go out front. We'll meet at the rental in 15 minutes."

The two split up and waited. It turned out that the employee was parked in the back of the building. Sandow had figured as much. He really just didn't want Cody alone with him. The younger man had been on edge all day though he tried to hide it. Sandow's eyes narrowed as he watched the employee head to his car while talking loudly on his cell phone. This guy was going to be perfect.

At nightfall, after purchasing the tools they intended to use and prepping their location, Rhodes Scholars headed back to the strip mall, right at closing time. They waited in silence for the employee they'd chosen to exit the building. They watched as car after car left the parking lot until there were only two left, one of which Damien had identified as his that afternoon. He had Cody park next to the employee's car and they continued to wait.

An hour later their prey made his way across the parking lot. Once again he was on his cell phone.

Damien grinned at Cody. "Pop the trunk," he said before climbing out of the rental.

Because the man wasn't paying attention, Damien was able to choke him out quickly and quietly. There was barely even a struggle. The phone dropped to the ground as he shoved the man into the trunk. Even from that distance Sandow could hear a woman's voice squawking through the receiver. He stomped the phone, satisfied when it shattered beneath his boot and then he closed the trunk.

The drive to their location was short and silent. Both men were filled with anticipation. When they arrived at the restaurant, they parked in the back out of sight and struggled to carry the man inside. They took him further by bringing him downstairs into the walk in fridge they'd prepared. There was a steel rack built into the back of the fridge and after they stripped him, they chained him spread-eagled to it.

The backup generator had been active for over two hours and it was already cold inside the fridge. The man moaned and his eyes fluttered before opening. The chill hit his bare flesh and he shivered now fully awake.

"What the hell is going on?!" The employee made no pretenses about finding himself in such a place. He was using anger to mask his panic.

There was no answer. Team Rhodes Scholars had stepped out to finish getting ready. Aprons and thick rubber gloves over long sleeved shirts and slacks, they entered the space. Cody was pushing a small cart that held their tools for the night. The usual butterfly knives, a butcher knife found upstairs in the kitchen and a new purchase from their impromptu trip inside a hardware store; a battery powered hand drill.

The employee's eyes widened when he saw what was on the cart. Immediately he began to thrash, pulling frantically against his chains hoping to fall free. He only succeeded in tiring himself out. The sweat left a sticky coating on his skin, chilling him even more. Damien didn't spare a glance in his direction as he set up the disc player in the corner.

"Anything you prefer to listen to today?" he asked Cody.

Cody shrugged. "Whatever you choose is fine with me," he replied.

Damien nodded and put on his favorite disc, sighing as Beethoven's 5th Symphony poured out the speakers.

The employee listened to and watched the two men with something like horror on his face. He couldn't believe how they were acting surrounding his impending demise. Then suddenly he realized that he knew them.

"Hey!" called the man. "Didn't I see you two in the store today? Hey! Come on! We don't have to do this!"

They ignored him. Cody looked towards Damien as if for permission and smiled when the older man nodded. Cody picked up a butterfly knife and stood before their prey, looking him over.

The employee actually rolled his eyes seemingly forgetting about the predicament he found himself in. "You like what you see, asshole?"

Cody merely raised an eyebrow but Damien whipped around, eyes narrowed.

"Cut him Cody. Slowly," commanded Sandow. He closed his eyes, waiting for the screams to start and accompany his music.

Cody grinned wickedly as he complied, dragging the knife down the left side of the employee's face starting from the temple heading down to his jawline. The man yelled loudly and jerked his head to the side trying in vain to escape the blade. Opting for symmetry Cody gave his right side the same treatment, having to hold his head in place while he did so.

The employee was gasping for breath by the time he was finished. When he looked up and saw the smile on his tormenter's face he couldn't help himself. He snorted and spat a huge wad of phlegm in Cody's face. Truly startled Cody's head whipped to the side as if he were slapped. Instantly he felt the shame he'd been pushing to the back of his mind since last night resurface. It was like being degraded by Orton all over again. Cody hunched in on himself as the memory crashed into the forefront of his mind, a terrifying waking nightmare.

He started slashing wildly at the employee, not really seeing him but wounding him all the same. The man bellowed and bucked but could do nothing but take what Cody was dishing out. Around this time Damien stopped conducting and opened his eyes, realizing something was wrong.

"Cody! Stop!" cried Damien. He rushed to the younger man's side but when he put a hand on Cody's shoulder, his partner wheeled around and slashed at him. Sandow jumped backwards, the blade only missing his chest by inches. Cody was wild eyed, his breaths coming fast and shallow. Only when he met Damien's worried gaze did he start to come out of it.

"Damien?" Cody's voice was thin and breathy. He looked down at the knife in his hands slick with the blood of their prey. He let it drop from his fingers as he stared at his partner. His temple throbbed with an explosion of a headache.

Damien's head was tilted to the side as he stared at Cody. He was truly concerned but once again worried that mentioning his partner's increasingly strange behavior would start another fight. For once in his life, he really didn't know what to say.

Cody opened his mouth and closed it again. His heart was still thudding in his chest but he was no longer in a full blown panic. He could see the worry on Damien's face and knew that he had to let the older man know what was going on.

"Damien… I know you've been wondering why I suddenly showed up last night. Why my face looks the way it does…" Cody hesitated, hoping he could finish his story without igniting another panic attack. "Randy invited me to travel with him on his tour bus. After the show last night he wanted me to go with him to a strip club. Everything was fine till we got to the back room with the strippers. He made them leave and… I'm so sorry Damien! At first I wanted what he wanted. I was angry at you and frustrated about everything that happened between us so I sucked his…" Cody stopped unable to voice it outloud.

The skin tightened around Sandow's eyes but otherwise he didn't move. Was he surprised that Cody had pleasured Orton? Admittedly he was. Was he actually angry about it? In light of their discussion this morning, no, he wasn't.

"It wasn't enough though," whispered Cody, now looking down at his feet. "He wanted more and when I tried to leave… he fought me and took it." Again a deep feeling of shame washed over Cody and he shivered.

Sandow's brown eyes grew black with instantaneous rage. He forced himself to stay put, to try and calm down knowing that if he didn't he would find himself outside Randy's tour bus within the hour. He knew it! He knew that Orton had ill intentions. Randy had insinuated as much when he goaded Damien into fighting him at the bar several nights ago. Taking a deep breath, he gripped Cody's shoulders, forcing him to look him in the face.

"I want to hurt him, torture him, make him beg you for forgiveness. Let me take care of this for you. Will you allow me that?" Damien was nearly pleading with Cody. He wasn't a vengeful man usually, but Orton had committed the ultimate sin when he violated Cody,  _his_  partner and he had to atone for it. Even if it was by force.

Cody almost smiled, surprisingly touched by his partner's concern. "I'm not sure I want him dead," answered Cody.

Damien shook the younger man slightly, staring at him intently. "Please. Let me handle it. We can take care of him together."

"Alright," murmured Cody. He felt equal parts relief and fear.

Damien smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. He pulled Cody to him for a hug, finally taking a look at their prey hanging unconscious behind them. "Beautiful work as always," said Damien inclining his head towards their prey.

Cody looked over his shoulder and smirked. "Thanks."

Damien nodded and released him before walking over to the cart and picking up the drill. He squeezed the trigger and grinned at the loud whirring. He crossed the short distance of the walk in fridge and held the sharp end of the drill over the employee's bicep.

"How about we finish what we started here. It's my turn," said Damien. And he squeezed the trigger of the drill, relishing the screams. Damien closed his eyes and imagined it was Randy Orton. One day it will be.

 


	20. Grandeur Can Be Tricky

A month had gone by since the foundation of Rhodes Scholars had been shaken and nearly broken. Although Cody had come to Sandow on his own and even forgiven him he still had moments of doubt. He didn't know what exactly he was doubtful of, but it definitely affected his interactions with the older man at times. It didn't help that every time he saw Randy Orton, in his mind he was taken back to that night. Every sneer, every smirk, every chuckle from The Viper seemed to be directed at Cody (and sometimes Sandow) these days and it prompted some rumors backstage, none of which seemed to stick. It took some time but Cody was finally able to stop flaming with embarrassment and shame whenever Orton was around.

Sandow on the other hand, was eerily calm most days. He managed to ignore Orton's baiting behavior with ease. Honestly, in spite of Cody's trepidation about him and their relationship (both Shadow and intimate), Sandow was perfectly happy. Cody was his again and they were slowly but surely rebuilding that trust, and also he had the younger man's permission to take Randy Orton out. Sandow had been working on a plan in his mind ever since the words had left Cody's lips. It was mostly fleshed out, but details needed to be talked over with Cody. After Main Event, he asked Cody to come to his hotel room to discuss things.

Damien paced the floor of his hotel room anxiously awaiting Cody's arrival. He'd told the younger man to take his time showering and eating and he had meant it. But he sincerely hoped that Cody would spend the night in his room tonight. After their last kill in the abandoned restaurant, Cody had pointedly avoided spending unnecessary time in his partner's room. Damien didn't really know why and didn't want to push, but he missed the intimacy that came with sharing a bed in a way he didn't quite know how to explain. When the knock on the door finally came Damien opened the door and quickly ushered in Cody Rhodes.

Cody sat in the chair closest to the window before looking up at Sandow expectantly. He could see the eagerness on Sandow's face and couldn't help but smile in return.

"Cody, as you know I've been working on a plan to dole out death to our Mr. Orton," stated Damien. He watched as the younger man's face fell ever so slightly. He knew that Cody wasn't quite comfortable with killing his former friend, in spite of his rape. Trying to appear more solemn than eager, Damien continued.

"The absolute only way this will work without implicating us would involve kidnapping Orton and keeping him sequestered away for a period of time. Because of his history with wellness strikes and drug abuse, it shouldn't take too long for people to start drawing their own conclusions about his disappearance. Then we'll take some time off and deal with him our way."

Cody looked thoughtful for a moment before pursing his lips to ask, "How?"

"Well that's the tricky part," answered Damien. "We're going to need a third." The older man ran a hand back through his hair before crossing his arms over his bare chest.

"A third?" questioned Cody. "You mean another person needs to be in on this?"

Damien nodded grimly. "Yes. I mean think about it. Say  _we_  kidnap Orton and leave him somewhere unsupervised until we are able to deal with him. He could escape, he could die either trying to escape or starve to death. There are endless possible ways for things to go wrong if we don't have the help needed to accomplish this. So when it became apparent that outside help was needed, I began thinking about who could be trusted."

Cody gave Damien a meaningful look. "You mean someone that knows who we are and what we do? You actually trust someone enough to be an accomplice to premeditated murder?" At the wry look on Damien's face Cody flushed slightly before adding, "Besides me of course."

Sandow grinned. "Actually yes, I do know someone personally that could be useful in this particular task. I'm reluctant to bring him in though."

Intrigued, Cody leaned forward in his seat. "Really? Why? Who is he?"

Sandow rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "I'd rather not tell you who he is unless I'm absolutely sure I want to bring him in. But yes, there is someone who would help do this without a second thought. And that is why I'm not sure I want to use him. Though I do trust him, he's impulsive and incredibly stubborn. I'd worry about leaving him with someone like Orton unsupervised. He may start the party without us, so to speak."

Cody clearly had more questions about the mysterious man but Damien intended to be vague as long as he wasn't sure about him so Cody kept quiet. After a long moment Damien sat down on the bed in front of Cody before he spoke again.

Sighing silently Damien took one of Cody's hands in his, the intimate contact stirring something in him. "Cody… I almost hate to bring it up, but I want you to realize that there's another person whom I think may be of help. That night… with Orton? Do you remember…?" Sandow felt the slightest tremble in his partner's hand and he felt equal parts rage and sadness.

"The woman. The stripper. Do you remember what you told me about her?" finished Damien, searching Cody's face intently.

Cody's eyes widened, aghast. "Damien! You can't mean her?!"

"Well I'd have to interview her, of course. But think about it. She helped you when you desperately needed it and when it's likely no one else would have. She empathized with you, took care of you…" Damien looked down as he said that last.

"It should have been me Cody," said Sandow quietly. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you. But she  _was_  there for you. And I'm willing to bet, that she'll be there for you again."

Cody frowned. "I don't  _want_  to bring her into this!"

Damien's lips quirked up in a small smile. "She told you that  _someone_  should kill Orton."

"It was the heat of the moment," mumbled Cody. "She didn't mean it." But even as he said it out loud, he knew it wasn't true. In spite of his pain at the time, he'd seen it, a viciousness in her eyes when she said that Orton needed to die. In that moment, Cody had had peace as she had so eerily and thoroughly reminded him of his partner.

"I need you to consent to this Cody. If I'm right about her, she will work with us in such a way that doing what needs to be done about Orton will be satisfying for all involved. If I'm wrong about her, then we go back to the first option, and I'll invite my… friend to help us solve the Orton problem. Deal?" Damien continued to hold Cody's hand only now his thumb rubbed small circles into the younger man's palm. Any resolve that Cody had about the situation was slowly but surely evaporating with this contact.

Sighing laboriously loud, Cody nodded his consent. "Okay Damien."

"Ah wonderful!" exclaimed Sandow clapping Cody on the back. "Now let's go to bed."

Cody raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "Alright Damien."

Sandow climbed into bed first and Cody followed. He watched the younger man's every move with something akin to joy bubbling inside. After switching off the lamp he lay beside Cody a moment before cautiously wrapping his arm around his partner's waist. Damien couldn't help but smile in the dark when he felt Cody relax against him. This was where he needed to be. This was how it needed to be. In bed together, planning out the details of what was sure to be their most satisfying murder yet. Content, Damien Sandow closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep; oblivious to Cody Rhodes staring wide eyed into the darkness of the room, his mind a whirlwind of the last hour of conversation. How did he get to this place?


	21. Oops, Oh Well

Rhodes Scholars weren't scheduled to make any appearances for the next four days so Damien figured it would be the perfect time to find out just who would make the best third for them. They took the next flight out to find the stripper that had helped Cody over a month ago. Cody had informed Damien that the assault had happened sometime between midnight and 3 a.m. so it was decided they would go around 2 a.m. hoping they might catch her during her shift.

When they entered the establishment the two men made a beeline straight for the bar. After ordering beers for themselves, they began scanning the crowd.

"Do you see her? Is she here?" asked Sandow.

Cody was about to tell him no when he spotted her entering from the back with a client. "That's her over there, she just walked in," he said taking a long draw from his glass.

Damien followed Cody's gaze and his eyes landed on an ebony woman of average height, her breasts full and bare and a sheer piece of cloth wrapped around her equally full hips. He watched as she sent the client on his way after accepting a wad of cash from him. She took a couple steps towards the bar before stopping abruptly. Her head tilted to the side and it was clear that she recognized Cody. Quickly she approached them, took Cody by the hand and led him and Damien to the back but into a different room than when she last saw him. The three stood in the room staring at each other for a long moment before anyone spoke.

"I'm surprised to see you again," she said with a sad smile. "But you look well. And you," she said turning her gaze to Sandow. "You must be Damien."

Damien looked taken aback and the woman chuckled. "Cody spoke of you when he was here last. It's hard to give a good lap dance if you're client isn't in to it so we chatted instead."

Cody fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable. "I talk a lot when I'm drunk. I'm sorry I don't remember your name."

The woman shrugged. "Because I probably didn't tell you. Management here likes for us to use our real names so it feels more erotic and personal to the customers. I try to avoid saying it period. You know, stalkers and creeps flood this place. You guys aren't creeps, right?"

At that the two men glanced at each other unsure how to respond.

"Certainly not," answered Sandow finally.

"Good," said the woman. "My name is Octavia. Have a seat gentlemen; tell me why you're here."

Once they were seated, Sandow clasped his hands together over his knee. "Octavia, first I would like to thank you for seeing that Cody needed some help and then doing just that."

Octavia nodded. "I couldn't leave him like that." Then, giving Cody her attention she added, "I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner. When you've been doing this for as long as I have, you learn how to spot the dangerous ones. God… Honey, I just didn't think that he would…"

Cody put his hands up halting her apologies. "No, you couldn't have known. I clearly didn't. But I thank you for helping me when you did."

"Octavia," started Sandow. "Do you believe people should be held responsible for their actions?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

"How does the phrase, 'By any means necessary' make you feel?"

"Agreeable. Sometimes things need to be done no matter what the cost." Octavia looked from Sandow to Rhodes, head cocked. His line of questioning definitely had her curiosity peaked.

"Revenge?" asked Sandow, pointedly giving her the full weight of his gaze.

Octavia gave a grim smile, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Best served on ice."

Damien smirked. "Would you care to meet us for lunch tomorrow? There are many things I would like to discuss with you."

Octavia pursed her lips, thinking a moment. "I suppose I can. I'm very interested to see where you're going with this. Where are we having lunch?"

"The hotel nearest the expressway, we'll meet at 1 o'clock, in the restaurant inside."

The woman nodded. "Okay. It better be an amazing lunch. I've probably missed out on a few hundred dollars chatting it up in here with you gentlemen." At seeing concern on both their faces she laughed. "I'm just kidding, Thursday's are always a little slow." Octavia stood and Rhodes Scholars followed suit. As they headed back out front she turned and shook both their hands.

"Until tomorrow." And with a wink and a smile she sauntered away.

Once out of the front door Cody released a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. They walked back to the car in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Sandow was certain that Octavia would be of use to them. He saw a hidden pain in the young woman and was sure that she empathized with Cody more than the younger man realized.

As they drove away Cody looked out the passenger side window, not really watching the scenery. "Damien," he said after a time. "I don't want her involved in this."

Sandow frowned as he cut his eyes in Cody's direction. "You agreed to this."

"I changed my mind!" exclaimed Cody in exasperation. "Why don't you just call your friend and leave Octavia out of this."

Sandow sighed. "Let's just see how tomorrow goes before we bring him in. Can you at least give me that?"

"Fine," snapped Cody. The younger man let his head fall back against the seat. He didn't know why he felt so strongly about keeping Octavia out of their plans. But that desire to keep her unscathed by what they intended to do in regards to Randy Orton was strong. Cody wondered if it had to do with his aversion to killing women and how he felt she'd be in danger should she decide to participate. He gave a mental groan at the thought. It was possible.

The following afternoon Rhodes Scholars were already seated in the restaurant. Sandow had requested a private table in a far corner, away from prying eyes and nosy patrons. They sat for a time, waiting till Octavia arrived before they would consider ordering.

"It's fifteen past one," said Cody glancing at his watch. "Maybe she's not coming."

Damien's lips curled up in a smirk. "She's coming."

Not a moment after the words left his lips they saw her entering the restaurant. She spotted them in the corner and sashayed over.

"Sorry I'm late," said Octavia with a smile. Her smile widened when Damien stood and pulled her chair out for her before sitting back down.

"Thank you. So, do either of you plan to tell me what this is all about? I must admit you had me intrigued last night."

Sandow cleared his throat. "Last night I asked you about revenge, about doing whatever it takes, by any means necessary." He paused when he saw Octavia nodding before continuing. "Well Cody is my partner in more ways than you probably picked up. As you can imagine, when I learned of what happened between him and the other man at your club last month, I was understandably… upset."

Octavia turned to look at Cody who was staring down at the table silently. "So you want to hurt him back?" she asked.

"I was thinking more along the lines of torturing, maiming and killing him," stated Damien matter-of-factly. "We're here to ask for your help in making this a reality. I truly believe that you understand this need, this hunger to inflict payback upon this man. Am I wrong?"

Octavia sat back in her chair looking down at her hands in her lap. "No… You're not wrong. I felt your pain that night Cody because I…" She shook her head abruptly. "Well the point is, yes, I'd like to help."

Cody's head shot up and he turned to Octavia. "Seriously?! Octavia, you've done enough. You don't need to do anymore."

The woman put her hand over Cody's on the table. "Look, I'll decide when I've done enough. Okay?"

Damien smiled at that. "Well, you must be aware of certain things. This is a long term operation. You'd have to move, quit your job and essentially stay out of the public eye for a while. Can you do that?"

Octavia nodded. "I can. I have money saved up and I could use a change of scenery."

"Oh you won't have to use a penny of your own money. We'll fund this entire venture. I just need to know you'll be in this for the long haul. We're talking a minimum of 3 months but it could be up to 6 months or more." Sandow tented his fingers looking at her expectantly.

"It's fine. I'm glad to be able to help. One less rapist piece of shit in this world is a dream I don't mind making a reality," she said with a shake of her head.

Cody shook his head but didn't say anything. He didn't like this at all in spite of the appeal of making Orton their prey for an undetermined amount of time. Tired of the conversation he waved a waiter over so that they could order their meal. The trio ate in silence mostly, clearly pondering the conversation that was had.

After they finished eating they exited the restaurant and stepped into the hotel lobby. Octavia stood, staring up at the two men. Reaching into her purse she pulled out a card and handed it to Cody.

"Here, this is my card. My cell number is on the back. I'm putting in my notice at work tonight. Call me when you need me or if you just want to update me on what's going on. Okay?"

"Alright," answered Cody as he pocketed the card. He turned to look at Damien who appeared satisfied.

"Great. I'll see you gentlemen later!" And with that Octavia walked out of the hotel.

On the elevator ride upstairs Cody glared at Damien. The older man was understandably smug about the woman's easy acceptance but Cody felt he was taking her involvement too lightly.

They entered Damien's hotel room and as soon as the door shut Cody began pacing.

"Please… Damien, don't involve her anymore."

"I don't understand Cody, what is your problem with her?" Sandow was really at a loss here.

"I just don't think it's a good idea to involve an innocent in our plans!"

Sandow raised an eyebrow. "An innocent? She's a stripper that dabbles in prostitution! Innocent is definitely not a word I would use to describe her. For god's sake Cody, get yourself together. We're just that much closer to making Randy Orton our prey."

"I don't want her involved Sandow!" yelled Cody.

Damien's eyes narrowed before throwing up his hands. "Fine!" he exploded. He pushed the younger man out of the way and reached into his bag on the floor, pulling out a burner phone. Hitting speed dial, he put the phone up to his ear listening to the dial tone. Instantly he regretted doing so and just as he was about the hang up he was greeted by a slew of profanities on the other end.

"Look, I shouldn't have called you," muttered Sandow trying to explain himself to the other man on the line. "I know. I know it's been a long time. No… We agreed… No! You don't need to come… Fine. Okay! Goodbye."

Damien threw the phone back into the bag before turning an icy glare on Cody.

"He'll be here tomorrow afternoon."


	22. Better To Have And Not Need

In spite of their disagreement the night before, Cody once again, stayed the night in Damien's hotel room. He could tell that his partner was annoyed about his "friend" arriving the following afternoon, but he didn't let it carry over into their night together. The next morning they ate breakfast before going to a nearby gym to workout. After a shower and lunch they both went back to their respective hotel rooms to change and get ready to meet Damien's contact.

Sandow frowned at himself in the mirror. He knew that this situation had serious potential to turn into disaster of epic proportions. He simply hoped that he'd be able to maintain control of the situation so they could focus on the problem at hand. Randy Orton.

After Cody got dressed he sat down for a moment. He took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. He could admit to himself that he was nervous about meeting Damien's "friend". But if this man could do what was needed to be done, then they wouldn't need to involve Octavia. A glance at the clock let Cody know it was time to meet Damien back in his room to wait for their guest's arrival. Slowly he heaved himself up and walked out of the room.

Sandow smiled though it didn't reach his eyes as he opened the door to let Cody inside.

"Just so you know, when he gets here, I am going to try to steer him away from helping us," said Sandow closing the door behind him.

Cody sighed wearily. "I know Damien. Considering how adamant you were about not bringing him in, I'm surprised you didn't just call him back and tell him not to come."

Sandow harrumphed at the idea. "He was already on his way out the door when he answered the phone. It would've been pointless trying to dissuade him then."

At that moment several loud knocks were heard on the door. Cody squared his shoulders, suddenly nervous. Damien shook his head, already irritated, as he went to open the door. A significantly shorter man, no more than 5'10, dressed in jeans and a v-neck t-shirt pushed past Damien entering the room with a gliding quickness. Cody stared unblinking as he recognized the man, shocked to his core. The hell?!

"Jesus fucking christ Sandow! I never thought it would take you six fucking years to hit me up!" shouted TNA superstar Austin Aries. For the time being he ignored Cody Rhodes standing just two feet away, his attention all on Damien.

Damien closed his eyes as if pained. "We didn't exactly part on the best terms Aries. I thought it was best to put some distance between us."

Austin waved his hands around erratically as if physically clearing the air. "Bullshit. You know I don't hold grudges. But whatever man, I'm here now. So what's going on? Who or what do you need help with fucking up?"

Damien glared at him still looking pained. He would never get used to the man's vulgar way of speaking and past experience taught him that mentioning it only made things worse. A quick glance at his partner showed that he was still in shock but covering it well. Austin followed his gaze and let out a bark of laughter finally noticing Cody.

"Well fuck me! Dashing fucking Rhodes is your  _kill_  partner?! I see you completely went the other way here Sandow," said Austin, still chuckling.

Cody mirrored Damien's frown with one of his own. It didn't take long to figure out why Damien didn't want to involve the man. Already he was getting under his skin and they'd only been in the room together for a few moments.

"Have a seat Austin so I can explain why you're here," said Sandow smoothly redirecting their guest's attention.

Unruffled, Austin sat on the edge of Sandow's bed, leaning back on his elbows. "So talk," he said glancing between the two men.

Sandow gave as brief a synopsis as he could while leaving out the sexual assault on Rhodes. He explained the tentative plans with the stripper and how he no longer thought it was necessary for Austin to get involved.

Aries scoffed. "Psh, Sandow, you called me and I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." Then grinning wickedly he added, "So Orton huh? I sure as shit don't mind helping to make him disappear. I've always hated that asshole."

Damien went completely still, annoyed but not surprised. "I suspected as much. How exactly do you think you can be of help to us?"

"With the kidnapping! I mean come on, how suspicious would it be if you two were the last ones seen with Orton prior to his disappearance. I'm perfect for this Sandow. You know how well I blend in with the scenery. I'm a fucking ninja when I need to be. He'll never see me coming." Austin said that last with a smirk.

Damien shrugged and turned to Cody. "He's not wrong. In fact, he's the one that taught me how to blend so well on my hunts."

Cody raised both eyebrows at this. It had never occurred to him that Sandow was anything but self-taught when it came to his hunts. Of course this also meant that at one point Damien and Austin had been kill partners. The thought started a churning in his gut.

He wasn't Damien's first partner.

Cody didn't have time to go over that revelation in his head. Startling all three men was a sharp rap at the door. He watched Damien head to the door to answer it and then noticing the older man's back stiffen with surprise as Octavia entered the room. Cody's gaze slid over to Austin's, noticing how the man looked her over appreciatively when she walked in.

Octavia greeted Austin with a nod before walking up to Cody, grinning. She took his hands in hers and said, "I'm sorry for showing up unannounced like this! I simply couldn't wait for your call."

Austin raised an eyebrow and gave Damien a knowing look as if to ask, 'How much does she know and can I speak freely?' Sandow nodded curtly and Austin smiled, pleased at not having to censor himself.

"It's okay Octavia. I'm glad you're here actually," said Cody sparing Damien a glance. "Austin here has agreed to participate, so you don't have to."

Octavia took a step back and a practiced pout formed on her lips. "You mean you don't need me anymore? But what if I still want to help?"

Austin grinned before standing next to Cody to wrap an arm around the younger man's shoulders. "Forget this guy. Clearly you're still an asset to this operation. I mean, who's gonna be the bait? I sure as hell can't do it."

Cody's head whipped around to see Damien letting his own fall back as he ran his hands through his hair in agitation. It was happening already, Aries inserting himself into their plans.

Octavia nodded, slowly getting used to the idea. "So you want to use me to get that Orton fellow by himself so you can snatch him? No problem!"

"Great. And then babydoll, you can keep that motherfucker relatively healthy till we can get up there and deal with him," added Austin rubbing his beard with an evil smile.

"Up where?" asked Octavia and Cody simultaneously.

"A cabin, in the mountains. Sandow knows the one."

Damien rubbed his beard thoughtfully. He did know the one. "That's not a bad idea actually. We'll have to get up there soon to prep the basement, maybe pour some concrete, buy supplies for the room… Hmm…"

Austin laughed loudly giving Cody a quick side hug before releasing him. "See? You do need me. And her."

Damien and Cody shared a look. In spite of his grating personality, Austin Aries had already proven himself to be useful. Cody found himself smiling genuinely for the first time in a long while. Randy Orton's days were numbered and for once Cody was anticipating what was going to come next.


	23. Feeling Inferior & Delusions of Adequacy

After Octavia went home and Austin went to his own hotel room two floors above them, Cody and Sandow were alone. One look at his partner and Sandow could see that he was tense or perhaps even upset. Sandow on the other hand was exhausted as well as upset. He was tired of walking on the proverbial eggshells around Cody as he had been for the past several weeks. Though Damien possessed the finesse required to deal, he was simply tired of having to do so. And after the whole debacle of involving Octavia and then Aries in their plans he decided to stop trying so hard. And he chose to start by asking Rhodes what the hell his problem was.

Fisted hands on hips Damien turned to give Cody his full attention. "Are you satisfied now?"

Cody looked up at him from under his lashes but said nothing.

"Well I certainly hope you are because this ends now. What is your problem? You've been fighting me every step of the way on this and I'm sick of it Rhodes." Sandow's eyes narrowed dangerously and he took a step towards Cody.

Cody once again glanced up at Damien but said nothing before looking back down at his hands in his lap.

Thoroughly pissed Sandow crossed the room quickly and yanked the younger man up by his collar earning a gasp of surprise. He used that fistful of Cody's shirt to jerk him in close till they were practically nose to nose. Cody's eyes widened but he didn't try to snatch out of Sandow's grip.

"I'm asking you Rhodes… what… is… your… problem?!" hissed Sandow, suddenly, unexplainably livid.

Cody's hands went to Sandow's wrists but he didn't pull at them, he merely gripped them, unsure about how to respond to his partner's sudden anger. "I don't… I don't have a problem Damien," mumbled Cody looking down.

"Seems to me you do," whispered Sandow never once taking his eyes off Cody's, which wouldn't have been possible with as close as they were. "Now stop  _dicking_  around and tell me!"

Cody looked into Sandow's eyes. "You and Aries… He was your partner?"

Sandow was completely taken aback. In that moment he became painfully aware of close they were, nearly touching. He could feel the heat from Cody's body. He could remember how toned and tan it was underneath the dress slacks and shirt that was wrinkling in his grasp. And he wanted nothing more than to take Cody and make him his once more, again and again. Damien was practically trembling with need and it was clear to Cody that something had changed. He was anticipating it. Something had to happen.

Damien relaxed his grip on Cody's shirt but didn't let go. "We need to hunt. How about tomorrow?"

Cody exhaled loudly a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Yeah. Tomorrow," he said momentarily forgetting his suspicions of Aries and Damien together. What had just transpired between him and Sandow was intense and may have ended with both of them naked and in bed had Sandow not swiftly changed the subject. Sandow realized that part of his anger towards Cody had been Shadow induced, specifically since it had been weeks since their last kill. Perhaps it was even the reason for Cody's constant and consistent disagreements of late. Either way it was going to do them a hell of a lot of good, releasing their frustrations during a well planned and executed kill.

Finally, Damien released Cody and took a couple steps back, distancing himself. "Why don't you go to your room tonight and get some sleep. We'll meet in the lobby at noon."

Cody nodded and headed for the door. "Good night Damien," he said lowly before ducking quickly out the door in the midst of Sandow's whispered, "Good night."

Right on time the two men met in the lobby, dressed inconspicuously and ready for the hunt. Cody was practically giddy inside, hoping that this time would go more smoothly than their last hunt, only a day after his assault by Orton. Sandow insisted that they do their hunt at the local mall, a fairly busy place with hundreds of potential prey to choose from. They walked together in silence for a time, scanning the crowds and stores searching for that special someone. Eventually they came across a young man in his late twenties who stood out among the masses.

The young man was of the hipster variety. He reminded Cody of the man he had pouted about not being able to kill when they were in Sandow's home town. One look at Sandow showed that he remembered as well and they two men smiled at each other. They followed the man and found that he worked at a shoe store within the mall. In order to continue to observe him, they sat on a bench across from the store.

"What do you think?" asked Damien.

"He's perfect," answered Cody. "Catch him when the mall closes?"

"That's a fan-fucking-tastic idea!" exclaimed a nearby voice startling both Cody and Damien. Austin Aries grinned at the surprised expressions of the two men from his position behind the bench. Then at the enraged look that Sandow was giving him he added, "You know I'm a ninja. I've been following you two since you left the hotel."

"So… Where are we doing this thing?" asked Aries.

Damien stopped glaring, merely frowning now. "There's an old factory just outside of town. It should be abandoned but we were just on our way to go check it out and make sure. And if it is empty we'll go ahead and set up."

"Fine, you go do that and I'll stay and keep an eye on our friend here. Alright?"

Damien considered Austin's suggestion before nodding in agreement. "Okay, meet us outside at closing time and we'll snatch him then. I'll call if anything major changes." With that said Damien and Cody both rose from the bench and walked away leaving Aries behind.

"Gah, I should have known he'd follow us," muttered Damien once seated in the rental.

Cody said nothing. He knew it was pointless to tell Damien he didn't want Aries there. Mostly because it seemed the older man didn't want Aries involved in the night's activities either. But at one point in the past Damien had wanted Aries involved. Cody wanted to ask about their past together even though he knew that knowing about it wouldn't make him feel any better. He just didn't feel that now was the right time. Instead he chose to focus on the set up for their kill room tonight and the fun that was sure to follow.

Hours later found the three men outside in the employee parking area in the back of the mall. Aries was surprisingly silent while they waited after having first told them what he'd observed which didn't really include anything of interest. It was after ten o'clock when they finally spotted their prey leaving the building. He was alone and apparently parked not too far from them. Damien started to get out of the car when Aries stopped him.

"Please… Allow me," said the shorter man with a grin before hopping out of the vehicle.

Cody mumbled under his breath as he pulled the car up to the now fallen young man. He popped the trunk feeling relief at the thud of the employee's body falling into the trunk.

It was a relatively short drive that took the trio of murderers to the outskirts of the city. They pulled into the back of an old factory that had yet to be condemned. Aries carried the still unconscious young man down into the basement while Rhodes Scholars led the way carrying their tools and equipment for the night. There was a rope and pulley system in the center of the room that may have been used to lift machinery. At Sandow's direction, Austin used zip ties to tie the young man's hands together and used that to suspend him above the floor. The plastic was already down and set up along the walls of the room along with a few lanterns and flood lamps. Cody lit the lamps and Damien started his iPod with Mozart much to the annoyance of Austin Aries.

After donning their aprons and gloves they both stood in front of the now nude young man who hadn't regained consciousness yet.

Sandow turned to Cody with a smile. "Would you do the honors?"

Cody gave a quick bow. "Absolutely." Then he sliced the young man from sternum to groin.

The employee gasped and let out a startled unmanly shriek of pain. He was finally alert and looked into the faces of the men in front of him with sudden fear.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?!"

Sandow and Rhodes looked at each other before looking back into the face of their prey.

"Because we can."

The next hour or so was a bloody, sweaty, sticky nightmare for the young hipster employee. Damien commanded Cody to cut their prey again and again, relishing the screams as accompaniment to Beethoven and Tchaikovsky all while he conducted in the air. At some point during it all Sandow joined Rhodes as they continued to inflict punishment. And through it all Austin had hung back. So quietly he watched that he was sure that Rhodes Scholars may have forgotten his presence entirely. If Aries were to be truly honest with himself he'd acknowledge that simply watching Sandow fulfill his needs was more than enough. It helped of course that he'd satisfied his own Shadow the night before he arrived in town. But the scene before him brought up memories of a time when he was in Cody's spot beside Sandow. Austin sighed deeply as he watched the two men give the final death blow to their prey. He missed his former partner but knew better than to breach that subject with Sandow. At least not tonight.


	24. Death Professor (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS: The song DLZ by TV on the Radio was on permanent repeat for this chapter.

 

Rhodes Scholars were back on the road with the company. Although the two men worked hard to appear normal and to keep things business as usual, it was hard. They now had a nearly complete timetable for the demise of Randy Orton. Austin Aries was working on his time off to get the cabin in the mountains ready per Damien's specifications. Octavia had quit her job and was getting her affairs in order; breaking the lease on her apartment, putting all her belongings (except for things she absolutely needed) in storage and severing ties with the few men in her life lest they actually miss her when she was gone.

Damien Sandow was the conductor of this deadly orchestra. He simply hoped that everyone followed his lead.

In a week the WWE was to hit Europe and tour for a couple weeks. This was it. They only had one week to make Orton disappear.

There could be no mistakes.

Austin had flown into town only a day before the WWE arrived. He had called Damien and asked him to meet with him to go over the details of their plan and the older man agreed. When he and Cody arrived at the hotel they went to their respective rooms but a minute later Sandow left his and met Austin in his room.

Austin grinned widely when he heard Damien's distinctive knock on the door. He walked over and opened it, amused at the vaguely irritated look on Damien's face. Damien always seemed to be annoyed with him these days.

"Get your ass in here Sandow!" said Austin with a chuckle. He laughed more at the frown that appeared on Damien's face as he entered.

Sandow turned fisted hands on his hips as he stared at Aries. "Austin, what is it that you needed to go over?"

The smaller man actually looked sheepish. "I don't need to go over the plan. I've got it down man. What I actually want to talk about is why you didn't want my help. Why the fuck would you call me man only to push my ass away?!"

Damien couldn't decide if he was more angry at being in Aries' quarters under false pretenses or if he was more worried about whether he should be truthful about his concern over Aries' presence. Damien rubbed his beard, his mind flooding with memories of their past together…

**_7 years earlier…_ **

"Hurry the fuck up Sandow!" yelled Austin while he unrolled their tarp full of tools for the night.

"I'm hurrying as fast as I can," muttered Sandow as he tied their prey, an unconscious young man in his mid-twenties, naked and spread-eagled to stakes in the ground. The abandoned junk yard was their playground tonight.

When the man was sufficiently restrained Austin stood over him, before squatting over the man's chest. He chuckled before delivering a hard open hand slap to the prey beneath him. The young man groaned but didn't awaken. Annoyed Austin slapped him again, harder this time, smiling when the young man opened his eyes.

The young man was confused but when he saw the manic grin on the man above him he became fearful.

"Wwhy am I'm here?" asked the man, his voice barely a whisper.

Austin grinned. "Because I fucking want you to be. Because for the next couple of hours… your ass is mine."

The young man watched as Austin stepped over him, heading to an area he couldn't quite see. He began to struggle, pulling with all his might at the bonds at his wrists and ankles but to no avail. The dirt and gravel underneath him bit into his flesh making him feel even more frantic and helpless but still he tried.

Sandow and Aries hung back and watched their prey from a distance, excitement coursing through their veins.

Austin handed Sandow a butcher knife. "You first man," he said with a smile.

Sandow bowed graciously before walking back to their prey. The young man spied the knife and began gasping for breath while struggling more against his bonds. Sandow smirked before he sliced the man diagonally across the chest. The man howled in pain, the knife wound a hot flash on his skin. Sandow made another cut, parallel to the first one, mesmerized by the way the blood welled in the wound before spilling across the man's chest. He made several more cuts each more beautiful than the last, relishing the screams, the tremors, the ruby liquid, seeping into the dirt beneath them… Damien stood slowly and threw his head back, eyes closed, truly exhilarated.

When he felt himself being shoved to the side only then did he open his eyes and what he saw next utterly surprised him.

Austin Aries was on his knees at the juncture of the young man's thighs. His pants were pulled down just enough to free his hard cock and he was stroking himself as he stared at Damien's handiwork.

Their prey's eyes were wide wet and wild. He knew what was coming and instinctually tightened.

"Please… Please… Please… Please… What… What you're thinking about doing to me. Please don't," whispered the young man, pained. "Haven't you done enough?!"

Aries came out of his trance and gave a loud bark of laughter. "I'll decide when I've done e-fucking-nough!" With that said he positioned himself at the young man's ass.

"This is really going to fucking hurt." And he shoved his way inside.

The young man screamed a higher pitch than when Sandow carved him up. He felt as though Austin was ripping him in half, gravel making its way between his cheeks furthering his pain during this brutal assault.

Austin only slowed to pick up the knife at his side. Once he picked up the pace he began stabbing at the young man again and again, the blood flowing only serving to make him more savage, more wild as he pounded himself inside the young man's shredded asshole.

Aries was unaware how much time had passed during his enjoyment of their prey (whom had long since blacked out), but after he came with a blindingly powerful orgasm, he finally felt sated. The Shadow was satisfied. He turned his head to the side, spotting Sandow. The other man was watching him, arms folded across his chest, face unreadable.

"Damien. Help me up man. I'm trying to catch a fucking charlie horse here."

Sandow walked over and pulled Aries to his feet, noticing without noticing that the smaller man was still hard and at attention. He looked into Aries' face, lips pursed as if he were thinking.

"That was… interesting," he said finally.

Aries laughed as he finished dressing. "Yeah, I do that sometimes. I fucking have to. You know?"

Damien shrugged. He'd never felt the urge to rape any of his victims before. Aries was a different kind of animal from himself. And at this point he was unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Austin handed the knife to Damien. "You know I don't just do it to men, right? Sometimes my Shadow's in the mood for a chick. They're not as much fun though, since most females, in the back of their minds, know that they can be raped. Guys though? Not so much. So those fuckers fight that much harder when they see me coming."

Sandow nodded. Strangely enough, he understood where Aries was coming from.

Austin gestured towards the knife in Sandow's hand. "You want to do the honors?"

At that Damien smiled. "I do." He walked back over to their prey whose chest was a bloody horror after Austin's assault. He knelt next to the young man, whose eyes were open, seeing but not seeing. Damien held the knife above the young man's heart and slowly inched it inside. The blood seemed limitless as it poured out of his mouth and pulsed out of the wound. As the light in their prey's eyes dimmed Damien leaned forward and whispered in his ear the first thing that came to mind.

"You're Welcome."

**_The Present_ **

Sandow mulled over that memory in his mind. While he treasured his past with Austin Aries, he worried how that might have an effect on his future with Cody Rhodes.

His future with Cody. It was the first time he'd thought of Cody in those terms but he realized it was true. The younger man was indeed his future.

Damien refocused his attention on Aries who was looking at him questioningly. He decided to opt for the truth with his former partner as well.

"Austin… Cody is not just my kill partner. He's more. But during a period when we were having… trouble, he found himself in a predicament that allowed him to be sexually assaulted by Randy Orton. I vowed to avenge this grievous mistake our Mr. Orton made when he touched Rhodes. But Cody has had trouble accepting some of my own Shadow's proclivities in the past."

Aries frowned knowing where this was headed. "So you think that if he knew about me and  _my_   _proclivities_  or that you were with me, he'd fucking leave you."

Damien sighed loudly as he paced a small circle. "I wouldn't word it quite like that, but essentially yes, that's of concern to me. He's important Aries. I don't want him to walk away from me again."

Austin screwed his eyes shut a moment. When he opened them again he saw the concern on Damien's face and felt two things. Admiration and jealousy. He chose not to act on the second emotion. "Alright Damien. When I kidnap Orton, I won't fuck him. Though I gotta say, out of all the assholes that have ended up on the ground before me, he clearly fucking deserves it."

Sandow sighed with relief. "Thank you Austin. I appreciate your… restraint here." Sandow tilted his head as he continued to look at Aries. "Now, are you sure you don't need a refresher for our plans tomorrow?"

Austin gave his trademark cocky grin. "I'm the greatest man who ever lived. I don't need no fucking refresher."

Damien smirked before chuckling. "That's what I like to hear."


	25. Death Professor (Part 2)

"I'm so glad you all decided to throw this little shindig," said AJ Lee gesturing around the large hotel suite.

"Hey we can't hog all the credit," said Titus with a wink.

"Yeah, actually Cody here suggested it!" exclaimed D-Young. He gave Cody Rhodes a quick side hug with one arm while lifting up his cup with the other.

Cody shrugged but smiled. "Well I thought we could all unwind before we head to Europe. Besides, I only mentioned it, you two acted on it."

AJ giggled at how noncommittal the Prime Time Players were about the party. Well it was more like a get together as quite a few stars passed through before going back to their rooms for a good night's sleep. Most of the bigger names had already left the country but there were quite a few superstars in attendance. Langston, Ziggler, Naomi, The Usos, Cameron, Miz, Wade, 3MB, Sheamus and Daniel Bryan just to name a few. Also in attendance was Randy Orton.

Damien was keeping a close eye on the Viper and Cody from across the room. Every so often he'd catch Orton sneering at Cody or glaring in his direction. Damien was so focused on Orton that he'd missed some of what Drew McIntyre was saying to him and had to ask the Scotsman to repeat himself.

At around 11pm people began getting a bit more comfortable, loud and wild. A dance contest broke out in the middle of the room between the Usos and the members of 3MB. The alcohol was flowing freely and somehow several unknown, unnamed women had arrived and began making their rounds amongst the wrestlers. One of them was Octavia.

Octavia had slid in among the ringrats with virtually no problem and their arrival to the party, though unwelcome to some, was welcome with most of the men. She hung back a minute to get the general vibe. People were cutting loose, but it wasn't as wild a party to a stripper. She spotted Damien near the balcony. When he saw her he gave her a discreet nod before going back to his conversation. She didn't see Cody anywhere but it was just as well, it was time to go to work.

Orton was dancing with a slinky long legged blonde closest to the wall. The blonde was doing her best to dry hump him, not caring about any of the other people in the room. Octavia adjusted her dress, patted her brand new weave and sashayed across the room. Orton saw her coming and his lips curled up in a smile. He loved when women fought over him.

It wasn't much of a fight. Octavia simply slid in between Randy and the blonde and when the other women tried to protest, Octavia caught the edge of her stiletto with her own and tripped the woman. She stumbled and turned to retaliate until she saw Orton had already lost interest.

Octavia swiveled her hips and ground her ass into Randy's crotch. He groaned and moved with her, unbelievably turned on. She was a little more aggressive than most ringrats he came in contact with and he wanted to see how far she was willing to go. Something about her seemed familiar though.

"Do I know you?" he whispered loudly in her ear to be heard over the music.

Octavia smirked before turning to face him and to give him a view of her breasts barely covered by the v-necked dress she wore. "Not yet, but you can get to know me," she smiled in what she hoped was an inviting way.

It was. The next thing she knew she was being pushed up against the corner wall, out of view of most of the room. Randy loomed over her and Octavia felt a thrill of fear shoot down her spine. She vaguely wondered if this was how Cody felt, being trapped by this predator of a man before his lips crashed down on hers.

Orton was beside himself. He ground his hips against her as he kissed her deeply, slipping his tongue in her mouth and nipping her lips when she hesitated to return the favor. His hands roamed her body and she gasped when she felt one of his hands under her dress, trying to part her thighs. Instinctively she clenched shut. Denied entry to what he thought was a done deal pissed Orton off. He grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked hard. He smiled at her gasp of pain and surprise.

"Are you a tease baby? Are you a fucking tease?!" growled Orton. He punctuated each word with a vicious yank to her hair. "I don't like fucking cock teases! Now, are you going to give me what I want? Or do I have to take it?"

Across the room Damien was standing by himself when he witnessed Randy's aggression towards Octavia. Even from this distance he could see that she was afraid of the Viper and that he was hurting her. Quickly his eyes cut to Cody who was showing the tell-tale signs of rage. Cody could see what was happening as well and it looked like he was about to blow Octavia's cover. Smoothly but hurriedly Damien made his way over to Cody and gripped the younger man's arm.

"No! Cody, let her handle this!" whispered Sandow fiercely.

"He's hurting her Damien! He's going to rape her here in front of everyone!" cried Cody.

Damien glanced around before giving Cody a good shake. "He's not going to rape her. She can handle this. For the sake of the plan, let her handle it!"

Cody snatched his arm away from Sandow but stayed put. They pretended to converse while they watched what was happening in the corner.

Octavia was fearful but she hid it well. She ran her hands up the front of Randy's chest, hovering over his nipples before working her way up to his shoulders. "I'll give you what you want baby. I just didn't want to put on a show here."

Randy smirked and let go of her hair. He watched, amused as she shook her hair out and fluffed the weave before walking towards the exit. He followed close behind leaving the hotel suite with her. Once in the hallway he grabbed her again and managed to slip one large hand inside the front of her dress squeezing her breast painfully hard. She twisted away from him, annoyed.

"Look, my room is just down the hall. Then you can ravage me all you want."

Orton smirked. "Fine. Lead the way so I can give you the fucking of a lifetime."

Octavia walked to a room at the far end of the hall. She used her card key to open the door and Orton followed her inside. She barely had time to reach the bed before he was on her. He spun her around and began kissing her. She tried to push him away but he grabbed both her hands with one of his and slapped her with his other hand.

"What the fuck is your problem?" he screamed at her before slapping her again.

He reared back as if to slap her once more when suddenly a body was on his back and a cloth over his nose and mouth. Orton let Octavia go and struggled against the weight on his back. But the cloth over his face stole his breath and he suddenly felt weak and exhausted. The darkness came fast and he collapsed to the floor.

Octavia rubbed at her wrists as she watched Aries stand up and drop the rag on the nightstand.

"What took you so long?!" she hissed.

He smiled at her and it was a little unsettling. "Sorry. Just wanted to see if this fucker has any game. Looks like he doesn't." Then, looking around the room he added, "Come on. Get your shit, we need to get out of here." Austin used zip ties to tie Orton's hands and feet together while Octavia changed into something more casual and a hat before grabbing her bag. She watched, fascinated, as Austin maneuvered Orton's large body into a giant trunk. It was a tight fit, but he managed.

"Why do we need to leave tonight?" asked Octavia as she picked up the card key.

"Because we need to be long gone before anyone misses this jackass. I mean we need to be practically at the cabin before they know he's gone."

Octavia took a deep breath and nodded. She was ready to see this through, regardless of the outcome. And with that finally thought, she followed Aries out of the room and to the elevators.


	26. Dirge or It's Your Funeral

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Repeat song for this chapter: Dirge by Death In Vegas

"What the fuck… Ugh… my head…"

Randy Orton moaned as he sat up. His head was swimming and he felt nauseous. He was having trouble focusing on his surroundings. He closed his eyes for a moment, hoping that the world would finally settle. After a time he tried again and opened his eyes. This time, he was able to focus and what he saw surprised him.

Randy was in what appeared to be a cellar. He was sitting on a brass bed so old that it had to be an antique. There were two windows up high and just out of his reach that had bars on the outside. Off to his immediate left was what appeared to be a working toilet with a roll of tissue sitting on the closed lid. Frowning, the Viper stood, albeit unsteadily, also realizing that he was quite sore all over and that was when he noticed the manacle around his ankle. The manacle was attached to a thick, heavy chain that seemed to be running through a 2 by 4 foot plot of concrete in the middle of the dirt floor.

He tried testing the limits and realized that the chain only allowed him to comfortably reach the bed and the toilet. He was much too far away to reach the stairs. When he didn't see anything that would be of use to free his leg he started to call out.

"Is there anyone here?! Help me! Someone!"

After several minutes of this he heard movement from upstairs. It sounded like footsteps. The steps went over his head and eventually came to the top of the stairs. He heard what sounded like keys jingling and padlocks opening before the footsteps continued down and towards him. Whom he saw come into view first startled him.

Austin Aries grinned mischievously at the Viper as he rounded the post at the bottom of the stairs.

"Morning sunshine. Sleep well?" he asked while jamming his hands into his jean pockets.

Orton was flabbergasted. "Aries?! What the fuck? What the hell is going on?"

Austin merely smiled. A second later Octavia made her descent and when she rounded the post, the savage look that crossed Orton's face made her heart skip a beat.

"You!" bellowed Randy. "You… bitch!" His hands were clenching and unclenching as his anger seemed to permeate the room.

Octavia crossed her arms over her breasts but said nothing.

Austin tried to shush Orton. "Now, now, Randy. That's no way to speak to your caregiver, Octavia. Our benefactors are paying her to keep you alive and well until they arrive. Well alive anyway. It's up to you whether you stay well or not."

The Viper's eyes narrowed. "The hell does that mean?" he barked.

Austin took several steps towards the wall nearest the stairs. There was a lever and what looked like a crank. He released the lever and started turning the crank. After a moment Orton found his manacled foot being pulled towards to the plot of concrete. The crank was pulling the chain into the ground and therefore pulling Orton closer to it. When he realized he couldn't fight it, he allowed the chain to drag him to the center of the room.

Austin picked up an aluminum baseball bat that was standing near the stairs and walked towards Orton. Orton saw where this was going and immediately prepared himself to fight back. Unfortunately he just wasn't fast enough. Austin jammed the rounded end of the bat into Randy's midsection and when the taller man doubled over, coughing, Aries slipped behind him and brought the length of the bat underneath Randy's chin. He pulled hard, effectively cutting off Orton's oxygen. The Viper began to struggle while Austin whispered fiercely in his ear.

"You better behave Orton. All we have to do is keep you alive. That doesn't mean we won't fuck your ass up. And speaking of fucking your ass, that's exactly what'll happen if you don't keep your shit together and do as we tell you. I've dicked guys bigger and stronger than you so if you don't want to be  _my_  bitch, then be  _a_  good bitch and do as you're told."

Orton heard and understood the implications and for the first time since he awoke in this strange predicament he felt afraid. Just as he was about to black out Austin released him and stepped away. Randy coughed violently as he tried to pull air back into his lungs. Austin went back to the crank and started releasing more of the chain to give Randy what little freedom he was allowed. The Viper stumbled to the toilet, flung open the lid and vomited noisily into it. When he was finished he sat onto the dirt floor, shaking and pissed. He glared at the infuriating smirk on Austin's face and the look of disgust on Octavia's.

"The ether I used to knock you out earlier and then to keep you unconscious is still in your system. It's why you're nauseous. Well that and me kicking your ass just now," said Austin, grinning.

Randy frowned. Suddenly a hazy memory came to him, of being in a small cramped space. He remembered struggling and being blinded by a bright light before another cloth was forced into his face. The scent was strong and darkness washed over him shortly thereafter.

Just remembering the smell nearly made him gag again. He stood to walk away from the toilet and went to lie on the bed. He closed his eyes and threw an arm over his face. He was done dealing with the situation for now. Randy intended to get some rest and think of a way out of this.

Realizing he was now ignoring them, Octavia went back up the stairs and Austin followed her. They locked the door and set the keys on a hook near it. The cellar door was in a small hallway in between the kitchen and the living room. The two stood there for a moment, contemplating.

"What did you tell him when you were 'kicking his ass'?" asked Octavia.

"Nothing much. Just told him to shape up or I'd hurt him," muttered Austin. He was only half paying attention to Octavia. At the moment he was trying remember all the supplies and food he'd need to pick up in town.

Octavia wasn't convinced. "Are you sure that's all you said to him? Honey, he looked scared and I don't think it's because you threatened to beat him."

Austin turned dead eyes to her and unconsciously Octavia hugged herself. Figuring that that answered her question he walked away.

Octavia shivered a bit before heading over to the thermostat. There was a chill in the air and though it was cold outside and snow on the ground, she needed more warmth to rid herself of the icy feeling in her chest.

**Meanwhile on a flight over the Atlantic…**

The murmurings among the wrestlers on the plane were a mixture of concern, annoyance and wonder at how Randy Orton simply didn't show up at the airport that morning. Several people had gone to his hotel room to look for him; they searched surrounding restaurants and stores until they barely had time to make the flight themselves. No one had seen him since the night before.

Cody and Damien were seated next to each other on the left side of the plane. They listened to all the chatter, impressed with the people who showed concern for the missing man and amused at those who showed disdain. When asked by Natalya about what he thought was up with Randy, Sandow had no problem showing disdain.

"How utterly irresponsible is it for him to miss this flight? I don't understand how he continues to remain employed with the WWE," said Damien. He and Natalya continued to chat, the discussion moving towards different topics.

Cody for the most part was silent, pretending to sleep so he didn't have to talk to anyone. They hadn't heard from Austin or Octavia before they boarded their flight. He was worried that something may have gone wrong though Sandow did not. He knew that the older man placed an extreme amount of trust into Aries and that both intrigued Cody and made him jealous. He sincerely wanted to know the scope and extent of his mentor and partner's past with Aries. And sometime soon he would ask and not allow Damien to avoid answering him.

 


	27. What You Need Is What I Need

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like Paradise Circle by Massive Attack for this chapter.

Both Sandow and Rhodes managed to overcome the jetlag to have a blast at Raw once they arrived in Europe. The fans were fantastic and truly excited to have the WWE in their country. Once the show was over Rhodes Scholars made their way back to their shared hotel room both tired and ready to relax before the signings and meet and greets the next day.

Damien showered first. Without thinking he left the bathroom door open. Unbeknownst to him Cody sat on one of the queen sized beds, conflicted. He couldn't stop picturing Damien underneath the shower's spray, lathering up his tone, tanned body. Suddenly thoughts of Aries and Damien together intruded. Cody groaned aloud, annoyed and frustrated. He hadn't had time to ask Damien about the other man but he meant to tonight. Once he heard the shower cut off he waited for Damien to exit the bathroom, steeling himself to ask the tough question once more.

Sandow brushed his teeth and gargled with mouthwash before leaving the bathroom. He eyed Cody as he entered the bedroom as it was clear that there was something on the younger man's mind. He didn't have long to wait. Just as he was about to remove his towel to put on his silk pajama pants Cody spoke.

"Damien? I was hoping you could tell me about your past with Austin now," said Cody quietly.

Sandow froze. He knew he would have to have this conversation eventually but he just didn't want to. He had hoped in vain that Cody would forget and move on. To give himself time to come up with a brief but hopefully satisfactory explanation he said, "Why don't you go shower first and relax Cody. We'll discuss it when you come out."

Cody frowned suspiciously but got up and went into the bathroom anyway. He took a long hot shower to fully relax his tired muscles. After he finished he dried off and wrapped the towel around his hips. Then he brushed his teeth before heading back into the bedroom.

Only one of the bedside lamps was on now. The air was on to balance out the steam from the shower keeping the room cool. Sandow finished hanging up his and Cody's suits in the closet. Cody stared at him curiously. Did Damien really think a shower would make him forget about wanting to know his and Aries' history? Annoyed, Cody crossed his arms over his still damp chest and glared at the older man.

Damien turned to Cody and at seeing the look on the younger man's face, he sighed. He crossed the room stopping when they were face to face.

"Cody… As I'm sure you've picked up on, Aries and I were kill partners."

Cody's brow furrowed more. He'd suspected it, but hearing it out loud still caused an unexpected twinge in his chest. He really wasn't Damien's first partner.

Seeing that Rhodes wasn't going to respond Sandow continued. "We worked together for several years, leaving a path of discarded bodies in our wake. But eventually our individual Shadow needs became too different for us to continue working together. So I initiated the split. Austin wasn't happy about it but he understood. We agreed to only call each other if it was absolutely necessary and for no other reason."

Cody was still feeling hurt and it showed. Damien grasped Cody's upper arms, shaking him slightly. "Cody, Aries may have been my first kill partner but it was mainly for convenience. I  _chose_  you to be my kill partner. And I chose  _you_  to share my bed."

At that Cody's stance relaxed slightly and his frown disappeared. "You never slept with Aries?"

Damien chuckled before pulling Cody closer to him. "Of course not." Then as if to emphasize the point, he quickly licked a line up Cody's neck, from collarbone to ear.

Startled Cody tried to pull away. "Damien?! What're you…"

Sandow shushed the younger man, gripping him tightly. He touched his lips to Cody's unperturbed by the fact he wasn't kissing back. He let go of Cody's arms and reached for his towel. Cody came out of his shock in time to stop Sandow from relieving him of his towel.

Sandow gave Cody a heated and intense look. "Look Rhodes, I knew that you needed time after what happened with Orton. I gave you that time. But I refuse to wait anymore." With that said he snatched the towel leaving the younger man completely nude before him. A wicked smirk curved Sandow's lips when saw that Cody was already hard, his cock thick and glistening at the tip.

Cody once again was conflicted. He wanted Damien but still he was scared. Scared of what? He couldn't identify.

Sandow closed the distance between him and Cody once more and began kissing him. Cody still wasn't responding so Sandow took hold of Cody's dick and squeezed. It was just this side of painful and Cody gasped. Damien seized the opportunity and pushed his tongue inside the younger man's mouth. Finally Cody began to kiss him back. Tentatively he allowed himself to be tasted by Damien, their tongues touching but not dueling. Slowly Sandow began stroking Cody's manhood, pleased at the moans he produced.

After a time Sandow stepped back from Cody but his hand stayed wrapped around Cody's dick.

"See? You need this Cody," whispered Sandow before pushing the younger man down on the bed.

Cody scooted back on the bed, propped up by his elbows. His face still showed doubt.

Damien grinned as he joined Rhodes on the bed. He positioned himself between Cody's legs bent at the knees, coming face to face with his still hard cock. Damien gave Cody complete eye contact before taking all of him in his mouth at once.

Cody hissed at the sensation. "Shhhit… Damien…" He moaned at the feel and the visual.

Damien was bobbing slowly and laboriously up and down Cody's dick. He swirled his tongue around the head pulling as much precum as he could increasing the suction before going back down again.

Cody couldn't help himself. He began to thrust his hips up, hoping the increased friction would quickly give him the release he craved. Damien dragged his teeth along Cody's shaft before releasing him from his mouth and admonishing the younger man.

"Tsk tsk tsk Cody. Are you trying to rush me?" There was an evil gleam in Sandow's eyes.

Cody shook his head vigorously. "I'm not! I mean I wasn't! I mean… Oh god Damien it just felt so good! I…"

Damien chuckled darkly. "Fine Cody… Let me give you what you need." Quickly the older man engulfed Cody's dick with his mouth once more. This time he sucked harder and faster but held the other man's hips down so he alone controlled the movement.

Not being able to buck his hips in time to Damien's movements was torturous. He could do nothing but watch the dark haired man between his legs whom every so often would glance up and the intense look he gave Cody stole the younger man's breath. It was sex, pure and raw. Damien thought he would devour Cody; he wanted the other man to be a part of him forever. He started to increase the suction while swirling his tongue around over and over. His beard added a delightful tickling sensation.

Cody was beside himself. His head thrashed from side to side as the pleasure took over completely. He wasn't going to last much longer.

"D..Damien! Please! I'm… I need…" Tears were starting in his eyes the need to come was so great.

Sandow smiled around Cody's cock, pleased at the effect he was having on him. Once again he used his teeth dragging them slowly up the side of the shaft in his mouth.

Cody cried out as he came, his seed exploding into Sandow's mouth. His mouth worked slowly to swallow it all, indifferent to the taste but pleased to receive it just the same. He sat back and stared at Cody whom had yet to open his eyes. Small aftershocks of the orgasm shook the younger man's body.

When the waves of pleasure finally subsided Cody looked at his partner. Damien had removed his pajama pants and was now lying next to him, the front of his body flush against Cody's side. Damien's thick, hard manhood pressed against Cody's thigh. He purposely didn't relieve himself while he pleasured Cody intending to receive as he'd given from the younger man.

"Now Cody… Are you prepared to give me what I need?"

Cody's eyes were heavy lidded. He was still overcome by the powerful orgasm he'd had only moments before. But he managed to give Sandow a shaky nod.

"Good. Now sit up and make sure to put some pillows behind your back." Damien sat up himself as he watched Cody comply. When Cody was sitting up against the headboard, Damien stood in the bed over Cody, his cock inches from Cody's face. Cody got the idea pretty quickly and took hold of Damien, gently stroking before taking him into his mouth. Damien groaned as Cody slowly handled his length.

Unable to take it anymore Damien grabbed hold of Cody's head and began to fuck his mouth. Cody grabbed his partner's hips to steady himself but the contact served to spur Damien on faster. He pumped himself into Cody's mouth quickly but not forcefully so he didn't gag the younger man. The sensation felt amazing but to look down and see Cody holding his hips, trying to keep up with his thrusts was just too much.

"Yes Cody… Yes…" Damien moaned loudly as he came, filling up Cody's mouth. Cody worked to swallow all of Damien's seed, pleased that he was able to do this for him in spite of his trepidation earlier.

Sandow sat down and then laid next to Cody in the bed. He wrapped an arm around the younger man's waist, spooning him. They were sated and content. For the first time in weeks none of that eerie tension was between them. Cody reached up and turned off the bedside lamp.

A few minutes passed before Cody said, "I guess you were right."

"Hmm?"

"I did need it. This."

Sandow chuckled and gave Cody a light squeeze. "When are you going to learn?"

"Learn what?" asked Cody yawning. He was barely able to keep his eyes open.

"That I'm always right."

At that Cody grinned. "Not always. But close."


	28. Welcome To Captivity

Orton was dead to the world for almost 12 hours after he first arrived at the cabin. He never stirred, not even once. It wasn't until the sun shined through the slim basement window that he finally woke. Slowly the big man sat up, shivering a bit as he did so. It was chilly in the cellar and all he had on were the same clothes he wore to the Prime Time Players party, a t-shirt and jeans. Annoyed he wrapped the blanket from the bed around his shoulders and tried to think.

Could he talk his way out of this? How could he when he didn't even know what he was here for? Why the hell was Austin Aries involved? Who was that Octavia girl and why was she here? Actually that last one he did have an answer for. She had been bait; she was the lure to get him away from the party and alone. But clearly that wasn't her only part in this. Aries had said she was to keep him alive and well. But why? And for how long? The whole situation wasn't making any sense. At that moment the Viper's stomach growled loudly and alerted him to a more current situation that needed taking care of.

"Hey!" he yelled at the ceiling. "Can I get some food or what?! Hello?! Can you hear me?! I'm fucking starving!"

Upstairs where it was significantly warmer, Austin and Octavia sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast. Octavia had risen at seven in the morning and cooked a marvelous breakfast. Austin had left his room to the smell of bacon, eggs and French toast. Orange juice and a small fruit salad completed the meal.

"I gotta say, I'm impressed 'Tavia," said Austin, the nickname flowing easily from his lips as he speared a couple more pieces of bacon with his fork.

Octavia looked up from her plate, a small smile on her face. "Oh? Why is that?"

"You're a fucking stripper that knows how to cook!" exclaimed Aries. "Hell, I dated a couple girls in your… profession. Those bitches could burn water!"

Octavia laughed. Although his profane speech was grating, she could appreciate the compliment. "Umm… thanks? I've been on my own since I was 14. It was either learn how to cook or get fat eating prepackaged and heavily processed garbage. I chose the former."

Austin nodded. He could appreciate that. "Guess that's why you manage to keep your body so tight." He said that as a statement of fact, his face never changing expression. "How the hell old are you anyway?"

"Yoga, pilates and a good amount of cardio are also to thank for all of this," Octavia said gesturing at herself. "Oh and I'm 30."

"No shit?" asked Austin with raised eyebrows.

"No shit," replied Octavia after taking a swallow of juice.

"Hmm… Well you better have a fucking backup plan. I can't see any clubs in the market for 30 year old strippers."

At that Octavia smiled. "The club thought I was 26. When I first started working there they thought I was 22. I could get 4 more years out of there easy."

Austin chuckled and raised his glass to her. "Keep playing that game 'Tavia."

Octavia smiled back as she raised her glass in return. "I don't know any other way." Then turning to glance at the clock on the microwave she said, "I guess I better feed our guest down there."

Austin stood patting his stomach. "I'm coming with you."

Octavia shrugged and grabbed a tray putting what she figured was enough food while also taking into account the man hadn't eaten in over 24 hours before also reaching for another glass. Aries grabbed her wrist to stop her from filling the glass.

"No, he needs to have a plastic cup. If he gets glass he can break it and use it to hurt us or himself. And if he's dead we will have done all this work for nothing. No fucking silverware either. All plastic."

"Shit, I didn't think about any of that," said Octavia as she replaced all the breakable items with plastic.

Austin and Octavia walked to the cellar door and after he opened it they headed down the stairs. As they rounded the post, once again Austin grabbed her arm.

"Now listen up. That fucker has reach. I'm not going to always be here. So when it's just you coming downstairs, always rein him in  _before_  you attempt to walk past this point. And even once he's trapped in the center of the room, walk wide around him. You can't take the chance of him grabbing you, especially if I'm not here to save your wonderfully tight ass."

Octavia chuckled in spite of the severity of the topic. "I understand Aries. You want to hold this so I can make sure I can pull the crank?"

Austin took the tray from her and watched as she released the lever and turned the crank. She didn't seem to be having any difficulties with it which relieved Aries.

Orton had been watching the two when they first came downstairs. He couldn't hear what was being said but knew they were talking about him. After a minute he watched as Octavia began turning the crank that pulled the chain attached to his foot into the ground. Randy sighed and walked with the chain so he wasn't dragged.

When Octavia had the lever locked in place she took the tray over to Randy, setting it down near the bed but still a good distance out of his reach.

"Morning sunshine," taunted Austin as he walked up to Orton, swinging the baseball bat he'd picked up by the stairs. "Don't expect an amazing breakfast like that every morning. Personally I think you could survive with just a few slices of bread and some water but Octavia just felt like getting in the kitchen today."

Randy fought to keep his temper in check. "Thank you…Octavia, for the meal. It looks good," said The Viper tightly. "Before I eat, is it possible for one or both of you to tell me why I'm here?"

Austin rubbed at his beard thoughtfully while looking at Randy. He knew that Damien wanted the Viper's reason for being held kept secret till he and Cody arrived but he couldn't resist giving a teaser.

"Atonement Randal. That's why you're here," answered Austin finally.

Randy frowned, both annoyed at being called Randal and perplexed about the atonement. He glanced at Octavia and jabbed a thumb in her direction. "What? 'Cause I slapped her? Roughed her up a little?"

Octavia almost laughed. "Honey, I've been slapped and roughed up worse."

Austin's eyes didn't leave Randy's face. "Atonement is all I'm saying. I certainly wouldn't want to ruin the surprise. Eat up jack off, we'll be back for that tray in an hour." With that said, Austin met Octavia at the stairwell and watched as she released the lever and turned the crank giving Randy his limited freedom back before they headed back upstairs.

Randy was so confused. As he munched his breakfast he began wracking his brain trying to figure out who he could have pissed off so bad they'd want to kidnap him to do god only knows what?

The Viper snorted. "Atonement… Yeah right."

Upstairs Octavia cleared the dishes and got the kitchen back in order. Austin went back to his room and grabbed his burner phone that only had one number in it, Damien's. He walked through the cabin and out the front door where the signal was better; ignoring the cold in spite of only wearing a long sleeved thermal shirt and jeans. He figured it was evening in Europe and hoped that his former partner would answer his call. He wasn't disappointed.

"Hello?"

"Hey man! Just thought you'd want an update. So far so good here."

Damien was silent for a beat. "Excellent. People are in an uproar looking for the ignoramus. How long before you're needed back at work?"

"Another week, but 'Tavia's got this. She'll be fine till you or I make it back here."

Damien paused again. 'Tavia? The older man frowned to himself. He hoped that Austin wasn't getting attached to the stripper. His former lovers had a knack for disappearing, even if it was months after the break up. "If you're confident then I'm confident," said Damien finally.

Austin grinned. "Fucking-A right I'm confident. But I'm the greatest man who ever lived and confident is my middle name." He heard Damien sigh over the line and could practically see his former partner rolling his eyes.

"Call me before you leave for work."

"No problem. And thanks again for calling me in on this. Admit it; you couldn't have done this shit without me."

"I'll admit no such thing!" hissed Damien. Then there was a beep as the call was disconnected.

Aries pulled the phone away from his ear chuckling. Damien had hung up on him. He simply couldn't help pushing the man's buttons


	29. Losing The Mask

It was late in the afternoon and Octavia and Austin Aries sat in the living room of the cabin. Octavia was reading a book that had been on her to do list for a while now. In spite of the crazy situation she found herself in, it was nice to be able to sit, relax and actually read for a while. Back in the city she was always on the go, always trying to find ways to get ahead, to make more money, doing what she could to get what she wanted. And now? She was basically a glorified babysitter for the evil jackass Randy, waiting for the "parents" to come home and "punish" him.

Sighing, Octavia looked up from her book a moment to glance at Austin sitting across from her. He wasn't doing anything but sitting. He was staring at the ceiling, but not as if he was studying it. One might say he was looking beyond it.

Octavia grew concerned the more she watched Austin. The look in his eyes was fierce, yet cold but he clearly wasn't there with her in that living room. His mind was somewhere else. His face was empty and blank and there was a hint of something dark lurking beneath the surface.

Shuddering due to an odd sense of danger Octavia cleared her throat hoping to break him out of the self induced trance.

"Austin?"

Slowly his eyes left the ceiling and focused on the woman sitting across from him. The cold look left his face, replaced by one of cockiness and amusement. Suddenly she was faced with the man she enjoyed a lovely breakfast with this morning. The switch was real and uncanny.

"What's up 'Tavia?" asked Austin finally. He saw the worry in the stripper's face and he tried to up the charm and normalcy for her sake. He had been imagining all the different ways he could torture, maim and kill Orton and Octavia must have sensed the change. Damien had warned him about that in the past, telling the younger man that sometimes his "kill face" appeared when it'd been too long since his Shadow had been sated. Whenever that look on his face appeared around people he didn't intend those people usually became instantly wary, at times anticipating violence from him.

Austin didn't want Octavia to see him that way if he could help it and he cursed himself silently for giving her a spook. It was the second time in as many days with the first being yesterday after she asked him what he'd said to Orton. Damien had mentioned before going to Europe that she didn't know anything about their kills and Shadows, saying that perhaps it was for the best she was kept in the dark about that particular aspect of their lives.

Octavia had watched with a growing curiosity in spite of the fear as Austin pulled on his more normal persona with the ease of slipping into a warm jacket. Now it was the funny and crude Austin Aries sitting before her and not the brooding and worrisome one from before.

"Nothing's up Austin," said Octavia pushing her hair behind her ear. "I just was thinking about starting dinner and wanted to know your input."

Austin shrugged. "Whatever you plan to do is fine with me." Then, standing he added, "I'm going to call our benefactors while you get started."

Octavia nodded before heading into the kitchen. She felt a chill go down her spine in spite of the coziness of the cabin as she turned her back to Aries. He wouldn't hurt her, right?

Austin retrieved the phone from his room and went outside to make the call. He wasn't sure what time it was in Europe but he needed to talk to his former partner. Austin hit redial and waited for the phone to be picked up.

"Hello? Austin?"

"Hey Damien. How's it going? You and Cody hitting all the pubs while ya there?"

Damien sighed into the phone. "What is it Austin?"

It was Austin's turn to sigh. "I'm gonna need to leave early Damien. I'm itching for a kill and Octavia senses something's off."

Damien was silent for a moment. "She saw your kill face." It was a statement more than a question.

Austin nodded before realizing Damien couldn't see him. "Yeah, I don't know what happened. I guess I started spacing out while we were in the living room together. But anyway, it's not safe for me snatch prey in the town nearby. Everybody knows everybody there and we're the newbies. Those folks don't know us or trust us and if something happens to one of their own it won't take them long to come looking for us."

"I appreciate the foresight Austin. Is she ready to handle taking care of him on her own?"

Austin rolled his neck about his shoulders trying unsuccessfully to ease tension. "I'll make sure she's ready. But I have to get the hell out of here and soon."

"Alright Austin. Once you feel she's sufficiently prepared, leave. I don't want an incident and neither do  _you_." Damien's voice had turned menacing with the thinly veiled threat. He had no qualms about turning things around on Austin if the other man jumped the gun and killed Orton before Damien and Cody got back to the United States.

Austin heard and understood the warning but was too rattled by his condition to worry about it. "I hear ya Sandow, loud and clear."

"Good, as long as we understand each other. Call me right as you're about to leave so that I may speak with Octavia as well."

"Sure thing Damien. Look, I gotta go. It's cold as balls out here," muttered Aries, frowning at the snow under his boots.

The older man actually chuckled. "I'll talk to you soon. Goodbye Austin." And with that he hung up.

Austin smirked a little as he went back inside the warm cabin. He could smell the meal Octavia was preparing and the scent brought a smile to his face. The stripper could really cook. He put the phone back in his room before heading into the kitchen.

Octavia was at the stove, turning off burners and oven so the food could cool. She turned around and frowned at the worried look on Austin's face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing! I mean nothing serious. I just got off the phone with Damien and I need to leave early."

Octavia's eyes widened. "How early?"

Austin shifted a little on his feet feeling vaguely uncomfortable. "Tomorrow morning."

"I see," she replied, blinking slowly. "It's fine. I'll be okay." Octavia put on a false front, intending to fake it till she made it.

Austin wasn't fooled. He took a step closer to her taking one of her hands in his. "Look, that fucker downstairs won't know I'm gone for a while so long as you don't tell him. Tonight I want you take his food downstairs without me. Remember everything we talked about. No glass, no silverware. Reign him in before you pass the stairs and stay out of his reach. Okay?"

"Okay… Okay, I've got this," said Octavia with a grim smile. She slipped her hand out of Austin's grip and went about making up Orton's tray. As she made her way to the cellar door, Austin unlocked it and held it open for her and watched as she went downstairs.

Octavia walked down the steps carefully. Once she hit the bottom she set the tray on the last step before calling out to Randy.

"Hey, I've got your dinner. Want to start heading this way so you don't get dragged?"

Randy sat up and rose from the bed. He immediately noticed that Aries wasn't with her this time. Deciding to acquiesce for the time being he stood up and took his place in the center of the room. Pleased that he was listening to her, Octavia went ahead and released the lever and turned the crank. Once he was secure she walked wide around him before setting the tray near the bed and picking up the old one from breakfast. As she walked back to the stairs Randy said,

"Octavia? Do you think I could get a shower or something? Some clean clothes? And what about something to occupy my mind down here? It's boring as hell just sitting here." He tried his best to put on a pleasantly neutral expression while doing his damndest to keep the rage boiling inside in check.

"I'll see what I can do," she replied. Then she set the old tray on the bottom step before releasing the lever and turning the crank once more giving Randy the little freedom he was allowed. Carefully she made her way back upstairs where Austin was waiting for her.

She put the breakfast tray in the sink before turning to face Austin.

"Well?" he crossed his arms expectantly.

"I think it went well. He asked me for a few things."

"Like?"

"He wants to take a shower. He also wants something to keep him busy, to keep his mind occupied."

"We'll have to take care of those jeans he's still wearing before I leave. I brought him some tear away pants so he can stay relatively clean."

"But the ankle cuff…" started Octavia.

"Shhhh… I'll take care of it tonight," interrupted Austin with a grin. "Trust me."


	30. I'll Be Back

It was well after midnight and Austin Aries was still up. In fact that man was wired, too pent up to sleep. Octavia had gone to bed some time ago unaware of the internal struggle going on in the room next door to hers.

Austin had paced the entire perimeter of his room more times than he could count. It had been over three months since his last hunt and kill, the longest he'd ever gone without satisfying his Shadow since he became an adult. And because of that all he could think about now was the potential prey cuffed in the basement. Orton's skin still smooth and unblemished, just waiting for the slice of a blade… the burn of acid… the twist of a screwdriver… the pain and humiliation of rape…

Growling, Austin slapped himself a couple times in the face trying to stop the tempting thoughts. He had to focus. He'd promised Octavia he'd take care of Randy's cumbersome clothing problem and he meant to do it. Finally ready, he left his room and headed towards the basement door. He stopped into the bathroom on the way and from a small compartment in the back of the linen closet he pulled out a small bottle full of ether. Aries grabbed a cloth as well and left the bathroom.

Once he unlocked the basement door he stopped to douse the cloth in ether before stealthily making his way downstairs. It seemed as though his stealth paid off as Orton was completely asleep and oblivious to the danger coming his way. A troubling smile formed on Austin's lips as he quietly made his way towards Orton. Although one set of lights were still on in the basement, Aries still managed to use the shadows and darkness to his advantage. Moving with the light careful footsteps of a hunter he crept closer and closer to the antique bed Orton was sprawled on.

He stared at the sleeping man for a moment. All the fantasies that had plagued him throughout the day came rushing back and Austin fought not to groan out loud. He had to do what he came down here for now before he lost control and gave Damien an excuse to come for him. With practiced ease Austin leaped onto the bed startling Randy awake. Randy swung his fist wildly and actually connected with a powerful punch to Austin's jaw. It rocked Aries just long enough for Orton to try and throw him to the floor. He nearly succeeded but Austin had plenty of practice taking down prey much larger than himself. He lunged forward but ended up hitting the bed as Orton scrambled to get out of the way. A determined glint came to his eyes as he once again lunged at Orton and ended up riding the bigger man's back as they both fell to the ground.

The impact gave Aries the time he needed to bring the ether filled cloth to Orton's face. Because most of the liquid had evaporated he knew he had to keep Randy's face covered longer than usual. It was obvious with the way he was still struggling.

"See Orton… I like this. I like the way you fight me. This shit gets me off. It makes me fucking hard. You feel it don't you?" Aries ground his hips into Orton's lower back for emphasis, his arousal more than evident. The bigger man increased his struggle, growing frantic as he also grew weaker.

"That's it… Give in… You don't have any other options motherfucker. And one day… hopefully soon, I'll take everything you got and destroy you. Use you up till you're nothing but a hollow goddamn shell. Then I'll end you and laugh while I'm doing it."

Licking his lips, Austin let the unconscious man fall to the ground. He didn't mean what he'd said to Orton. He knew that Damien and Cody were going to be the ones to dole out his punishment and subsequently take his life. But he couldn't resist instilling that fear of himself into Randy. That sweet, sweet fear should hold him until he could hunt again. Sitting back on his heels Aries took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. He had to get Orton ready so he could leave in the morning.

Octavia woke up to sunlight streaming in her window. Truthfully she had slept fitfully, tossing and turning throughout the night. She knew it was because she was about to be alone with an evil, deranged rapist for the next few months. Aries had a job to go back to and Damien and Cody couldn't leave theirs until they were absolutely free from suspicion. It was nerve wracking to say the least. A knock on the door startled her out of her revelry and she grabbed a robe to throw on over her gown before opening the door.

Austin stood at her door looking sheepish. There was a bruise blossoming on the side of his jaw and there were pronounced bags under his eyes.

"Morning 'Tavia. I'm about to head out."

Octavia nodded silently and followed Aries to the front door. She didn't see his bags figuring he must have put them in the jeep already.

"Honey… you're not going to tell me what happened to your jaw, are you?"

Aries snorted. "It's not important. What's important is I'm fine, he's fine and ready for you to take care of him. He'll have to make do with sponge baths from now on, but at least he can stay relatively clean." With that said Austin took the phone out of his pocket and dialed Damien's number. His former partner answered on the second ring. After assuring the man that everything taken care of he handed the phone to Octavia.

"Octavia, you have my complete confidence," started Damien. "But I want to warn you. Orton's a master manipulator. He'll try to sweet talk you, get you to tell him personal information about yourself, especially once he realizes Austin is gone. You have to evade all his requests for personal info. If you must talk to him, keep it brief. And try to keep him busy. You have all the money you need in order to buy food, supplies and activities."

Octavia smiled. "Damien, in case you've forgotten. I'm a career stripper. I know how to avoid spilling details about myself. I'll be fine."

Damien chuckled and it was a cultured and rich sound even over the phone. "Of course. Stay safe and make sure to turn on the truck once every day so you're not stranded should you need to leave. Austin will leave his number with you in case of an emergency."

"Alright honey, no problem. I've got this."

"I appreciate your confidence. And just to let you know, we may make it up there sooner than I anticipated. It doesn't seem like any of the roster are under suspicion for Randy's disappearance."

"Good to know."

"Goodbye Octavia."

"Goodbye." And with that she hung up the phone before passing it back to Austin.

"Okay I better get out of here. I'll try to call you every few days just to check on you. If I don't hear from you for more than three days in a row I'm gonna assume something went to shit and I'll come back up here. So answer the fucking phone." The look on his face was intense and left no room for arguments.

Octavia raised an eyebrow as she grinned slightly. "Yes sir."

For a moment the two stared at each other. Octavia was clearly anxious about being left alone with the kidnapped rapist and Austin was concerned about the same. With a startling quickness he reached up and planted a soft kiss on Octavia's forehead before turning and walking quickly to his jeep. After he started it up he drove away without looking back.

Octavia watched him drive off before hanging her head and sighing deeply. She could tell that Austin was a little sweet on her but as far as she was concerned it was too soon to tell if there was any potential there. Besides, something about him, for some unexplained reason frightened her.

 


	31. For The Ones That Feel It The Most

Cody entered the hotel room still chuckling to himself. After the show that night he and a few other WWE Superstars went out on the town going from pub to pub, drinking new and interesting beers, socializing with the locals and generally having a good time. In particular Sheamus and Drew McIntyre seemed to be more at ease than usual. While Cody was out enjoying himself, he was a little sad that Sandow had declined his invitation to come out with the guys.

Now that he was back, he looked around for the older man, surprised when he didn't see him already in bed.

"Damien?" called Cody. He walked from the living area past the beds and peeked into the bathroom. The shower was running and he saw Damien's outline behind the curtain. Flushing a little, Cody stepped back into the bedroom and glanced at the clock. Damien never took showers this late. This could only mean that he'd stayed up waiting for Cody to return and when he didn't, Damien decided to get ready for bed anyway.

Cody frowned, feeling a bit guilty. He hadn't meant to throw his mentor off his schedule. But what a wonderful sight it was to come back to… In moments Damien would leave the shower, his hair wet and loose, a too small hotel towel wrapped low on his hips… Cody groaned and adjusted himself as he was already beginning to feel aroused. Suddenly an idea formed and Cody grinned as he stood and shed all of his clothing. The alcohol still in his system gave him the idea to try something new and he wasn't about to let the liquid courage go to waste.

Quietly Cody crept into the bathroom and looked at Damien's silhouette. It looked as if he were rinsing soap out of his hair meaning he was just about done. Slowly Cody pulled the shower curtain part of the way back startling his partner.

"Cody?! What  _are_  you doing?!" exclaimed Damien. He wasn't angry, just surprised.

A pink tinge came to Cody's cheeks as he stepped into the now slightly cramped shower.

"This," he replied before sinking to his knees before Damien. Because Damien's back was to the showerhead, only a bit of the spray even reached Cody on his knees. Cody brought his hands up, timidly touching Damien dick before engulfing it in his mouth.

Damien was shocked. This was the first time ever that Cody initiated intimacy with him. But that shock soon faded as he concentrated on the feel of himself in Cody's warm, sweet mouth.

Cody moaned around Damien's flesh in his mouth. He tasted fresh, clean, of the soap that was used and Sandow's own unique flavor that somehow turned Cody on even more. Cody gripped Damien's thighs as he worked the older man solely with his lips and tongue. Damien had been completely soft when he started. But almost immediately his dick began to twitch, to throb and grow due to Cody's ministrations and it thrilled the younger man to know he was the cause.

Sandow was close but he came in Cody's mouth just the other night. He didn't wish to repeat that this time around. Not on such an unusual yet welcome occasion as this.

Groaning, Sandow bent forward and cupped Cody's jaw, effectively stopping his movements.

"On your feet," said Sandow quietly yet full of authority.

Cody complied and stood. Sandow smiled at him and it was surprisingly soft, not the usual wicked smirk. He took a step forward and put his hands on Cody's shoulders. Then he slid his right hand to Cody's neck before cupping the back of his head. He pulled Cody towards him till their wet bodies were flush against each other. Damien ground his hips against Cody's and the younger man reciprocated.

"You came to me first," whispered Damien in something akin to wonder. He was now kissing along Cody's neck, stopping every so often to give it a lick.

Cody shuddered, not sure how much more of Damien's soft caresses he could take. "I wanted you Damien," he said with a moan. "I wanted you to know that I'm through with hesitating and second guessing this aspect of partnership. I  _want_  you. I like  _being_  with you."

Damien's lips left Cody's neck and were suddenly on his mouth. The two kissed softly at first, just a mere brushing of lips. But it didn't take long for the hunger and intensity that was always present between them to take over. Sandow growled, completely beside himself. This was what he had wanted all along, Cody's complete acceptance of their partnership. Something in Cody responded to that growl, such a primal sound coming from the cultured Sandow. Cody moaned against Sandow's lips, gripped the older man around the waist and thrust up against him hard, effectively slamming him against the tiles. Damien grunted at the impact. He broke away to both to catch his breath and to stare at Cody incredulously.

"Ah ah ahhh," admonished Damien playfully, shaking his head. "A little overzealous are we?"

Cody sucked his bottom lip into his mouth before grinning. "Maybe a little."

Damien rubbed his beard a moment looking Cody up and down. Suddenly he reached out and spun the younger man around before shoving him into the back wall of the shower. To catch himself Cody had to plant both his hands on the tiles, his legs coming apart to balance himself. Damien was on him instantly, his hands over top of Cody's against the wall, pressing against his body, rolling his hips against Cody's backside rhythmically. The sensation overload made the younger man's knees want to buckle yet he pushed back against Sandow anticipating what was to come.

"It's okay Cody," whispered Damien into his ear. "I enjoyed it. But now you want me to take you, don't you Cody?"

Cody nodded but when Sandow smacked his ass he blurted out loud, "Yes Damien! Please!"

Damien chuckled darkly. "Good. Stay just like this." And he stepped away from Cody and reached for the small bottle of hotel bodywash. He stroked some of it over his dick and his fingers before closing the distance between him and Cody once more. When Cody felt Sandow's fingers between his cheeks, spreading them open, he moaned. When he felt one finger probing him Cody moaned louder. After the second finger was added Cody gasped as he felt them brush against his bundle of nerves.

After he was sure Cody was sufficiently prepared, Damien removed his fingers and began sliding his painfully hard cock inside him. When he was completely sheathed within him both men exhaled slowly, Cody because he was trying to adjust to the pleasant fullness and Sandow to keep from exploding at the feel of being inside his partner. Damien wrapped his arms around Cody as he wanted to be a close to him as possible, then he began thrusting. Because of the position they were in, these were short powerful snaps of Sandow's hips and it guaranteed that both men were going to climax soon. Damien took hold of Cody's rigid manhood in hand and began pumping in time to his thrusts.

"Oh fuuuck Damien!" exclaimed Cody as Sandow hit his prostate dead on while he continued to jack him off. He was close. They were close.

Damien growled for the second time that night right in Cody's ear. "I'm getting ready to come Cody… Are you ready to come with me? Come with me Cody."

Cody trembled right at his peak. "I… oh shit… oh fuck… Damien… I'm coming!" And right as his orgasm hit, so did Sandow's. The older man clutched Cody to him, his seed pumping so hot and fast it made his head spin. Feeling Cody's inner muscles fluttering around him prolonged his pleasure till it was nearly unbearable.

Cody's eyes snapped shut as golden starbursts danced behind his lids. The powerful orgasm left him weak and he sunk to his knees; only Sandow's grip kept him from collapsing completely. Damien pulled back, groaning as his softening member slipped out of Cody.

The two stayed like that a moment, basking in the afterglow underneath the shower's spray before Damien coaxed Cody back to his feet, chuckling when Cody swayed in his grip.

"Damien… that… was incredible. But I don't think I can move, let alone clean myself up now," Cody said stifling a yawn.

Sandow smirked at his partner but said nothing. He simply grabbed a fresh washcloth and body wash and went to work. The younger man was surprised but pleased by the gesture. Damien cleaned Cody completely, even taking care to wash the essence of his orgasm from his ass which somehow made the younger man blush in spite of everything they'd done up to that point. By the time he was done Cody was content and ready to collapse. Sandow exited the shower first and dried off before helping Cody out and drying him, humming some bars of Beethoven as he did so. When he was finally finished both men left the bathroom, shed their towels and climbed into bed.

Cody was asleep within seconds. Sitting up Sandow looked down at his partner and smiled. He'd done well choosing Cody Rhodes for his kill partner and lover. Everything was working out so well and soon he'd be able to take his revenge out on Randy making everything perfect between them.

About an hour or so before the alarm was set to go off Damien's burner phone rang. Fumbling for it in the dark Damien accidently knocked it to the floor. Groaning in annoyance he quickly turned on the bedside lamp hoping it wouldn't wake Cody. Looking over the side of the bed till he found it, he swiped it up and answered rather gruffly,

"Hello?"

"Well hello to you too," answered Aries with a small chuckle.

Damien smoothed his hair back with his free hand and closed his eyes mentally counting to ten. "What is it that you want?" he asked finally.

"Alright, alright I'll get to the point," replied Austin. "I was calling to let you know that I'm not entirely sure when I'll be able to make it back up to the cabin. I tried to talk Dixie into a different schedule and she was pretty fuckin' rigid."

Sandow was silent a moment. "Well that's unfortunate. But again I don't know for sure when Cody and I will be able to make it up there either. Perhaps our schedules will coincide or perhaps they won't."

"Shit… I wanted to be there when you broke that asshole," said Aries in the manliest pout he could muster.

Damien raised an eyebrow but when he realized Austin couldn't see him he said, "Well I'm not sure how involved Cody will want you to be in doling out punishment to that slack-jawed ignoramus."

Now it was Austin's turn to be silent. He felt a flash of hurt and jealousy at Sandow's words. "So I do most of the legwork but don't get to reap any of the fucking benefits?!"

Damien clicked his tongue and shook his head. He should have known this would happen. "By that logic Octavia should be upset for being left out of it too!" Then calmly he added, "Look Austin, you knew what you were getting into with us and you agreed to my terms."

"Fuck you Sandow! You knew from the start what I wanted! What I've always wanted! To hurt some fuckers with you by my side! And now you say I can't have  _any_  fun with Orton at all?!" Austin all but growled into the phone, well and truly pissed.

Damien was not moved but wanted to try and placate the younger man anyway. "I will talk to Cody. If it's alright with him that you be involved then it's alright with me. But if he says 'No' you must accept it."

"Whatever-thefuck-ever," responded Austin before hitting end. He was so angry he wanted to hurl the phone at the nearest wall but stopped himself. Regardless of how he felt now, it wouldn't do to destroy his only means of communicating with Sandow. Trying to calm himself, Austin set the phone down on the bench in front of him before turning around.

His prey was a middle aged man, nude, hanging upside down by rope around his ankles from the rafters of the barn. He'd come across the farm on his way back down from the cabin and couldn't resist the urge to do some damage here. The barn was a good distance away from the farmhouse so Aries hoped they wouldn't be disturbed by the man's family. But with the way he was feeling right now, the additional kills could only help him feel better.

The man had heard the phone conversation and in listening all hope of making it out of this situation alive died. He just hoped he was the only one to perish and not his wife and young sons.

"Please… Just kill me and get it over with! Just do it already!"

Austin laughed and it was an evil sound that chilled his prey to the bone. "You don't get to set the fucking pace here buddy. I'll decide when to do it." With that said Austin picked up a nearby sickle. He didn't know how long he was going to be able to drag the torture out with his rage so high. But he meant to try.

Austin swung the weapon through the air testing its weight before walking up to the dangling man. With a swipe of his arm, he brought the blade down across his prey's back. The sudden sharp pain made the man cry out. He bled immediately and the drops of blood spattered on the nearby hay and floor.

"Hmmm… that was good," said Austin surveying the damage. "But I think we can do better than that." And he made another quick swipe to the man's ribs. His prey jerked, the pain stealing his breath momentarily before he bellowed in agony. Austin saw the white of bone gleaming from the open wound and it made him smile.

"Now that's more like it," said Austin. He was grinning maniacally now. He turned around looking for the next way to inflict damage to his prey. This time he came across a hand saw and he snatched it up quickly. Aries saw that it wasn't nearly as sharp as the sickle and nodded in approval to himself. Dull blades meant more pain for his prey.

"I can't believe that asshole won't let me help!" muttered Austin as he sat before the hanging man. He took the man's right hand in his and began sawing off the pinky finger.

The man screamed piteously, thrashing in his bonds but to no avail. Austin took a look at the severed finger before flinging it across the barn. Then he went to work on removing the ring finger, now completely ignoring his prey's agonizing screams.

"Fucking Cody Rhodes… I was Sandow's first fucking partner! He should still be my goddamn partner!"

The ring finger was being stubborn and Aries pulled it the rest of the way off with a wet snap. The man was pale and vomited as he went into shock. Disgusted Austin stood and shook his head.

"Fucking weak fucking farmer. Guess I better end this." Austin went back for the sickle and with a quick swipe he beheaded the poor farmer. He watched as the man's body jerked for a moment as if he weren't already headless and dead. Austin took a deep breath and sighed as he watched the blood pool at his feet. He felt somewhat better. He looked out the door in the dark to the farmhouse in the distance. Maybe he'd feel completely better if he spilled more blood.

 


	32. Alone & Together/Developing The Pattern

Octavia lay in bed thinking about her first day taking care of Randy alone. It didn't really go the way she had imagined but despite that the day still went well. After Austin left she had immediately began working on breakfast. She had already begun feeling a bit lonely so Octavia did minimal cooking, just some sausage links, eggs and grits. Once she was done, Octavia had unlocked the door to the basement to bring Orton his breakfast and a mystery novel from the living room. As she carried the tray downstairs she heard what sounded like Randy retching into the toilet. Oddly concerned, she had set the tray down on the bottom step but didn't continue rounding the post, remembering the warnings that Austin had left her with.

"Randy? Are you okay?"

The toilet flushed and Randy stood up slowly, swaying just a bit. "No I'm not fucking okay! That asshole damn near killed me last night!"

Octavia's brow had furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Randy had chuckled but not like it was funny. "He attacked me in my sleep! He fucking drugged me again! And for what? To knock me out and put me in these fucking retro ass wind suit pants?"

In spite of herself, Octavia had giggled. "Those pants come off with snaps on the side. You want to be able to bathe don't you?"

Randy sighed and turned his back to her, trying desperately to control his rage. "What I want is to get the hell out of here."

Octavia had sighed in return. "That's not going to be possible. Even if I wanted to let you go, I couldn't. But between you and I, Orton? I… don't… want… to."

"Why the hell not?!" exploded Randy. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"I'm sure if you think hard enough you're bound to come up with something," she responded. Then glancing at the crank and lever she added, "Now you wanna walk your ass to the square or do I have to drag you?"

Randy had looked at her and shook his head. "Don't bother. I'm not hungry."

Octavia looked him up and down. "Look, it's my job to take care of you but I'm not here to babysit you. You'll get hungry eventually and I'm not coming back down here until dinner. Also I've brought you a book so you're not bored to death." She watched Orton looking as if he was debating on continuing to be a difficult ass or to just do as she asked. The later won out and he walked to the center of the room, waiting for her to reel in the chain so she could bring him his breakfast. Octavia had set the tray down near his bed and put the book on his pillow before walking back to the stairwell. She released the chain, giving him his freedom back before heading back upstairs.

Dinnertime had gone much the same. When she had went downstairs with his meal she was amused to note that he'd eaten breakfast and was lying in bed reading the book she'd brought. When he'd seen her coming he wordlessly got up and walked to the center of the room without being asked. After reeling his chain in, she had set down the new tray and retrieved the old one before making her way back to the stairwell. As Octavia turned the crank she noticed that Orton was giving her a considering look.

"That's twice now you've come down here by yourself. Where's Aries?"

Octavia had smiled mostly to herself. "Why? Do you  _want_  Austin to come down here?"

At that the big man had noticeably shuddered. "No! I mean, I'm just curious that's all."

Octavia had turned to go back upstairs. "Goodnight Randy."

"Hey! What about letting me bathe?"

"In the morning. Goodnight Randy."

And now as she lay in bed Octavia couldn't help but think of Randy's words about Austin. That morning she had thought he was being melodramatic when he claimed that Austin attacked him. But when she mentioned Aries later that evening Randy had looked nervous, afraid even. Octavia turned on her side, looking through the nearly sheer curtain as she did so. She was aware that Austin used ether on Randy but if that was the case why the fear? Had Austin hurt the man, spooked him somehow before the ether even came into play? She suddenly flashed on the memory of him spacing out in the living room the day before and an immediate chill popped goose bumps over her body. The man had looked feral, yet blank… it had been… frightening. Octavia's mind balked at the thought of Austin being violent and dangerous but she found she couldn't discount it entirely. And if he was, then what about Damian and Cody? She had been so swayed by Damian's charm and Cody's desire to keep her out of harm's way that it never occurred to her that they may be unstable, dangerous men. Sure she had helped them kidnap Randy in order to kill him but the guy was rapist scum. But what if they intended to harm her once he was dealt with?

"What have I gotten myself into?" whispered Octavia aloud to the empty room. She clutched the pillow tight and sighed.

Her mind flashed on Cody back at the hotel room where she'd first met Austin. Cody had been so adamant to keep her out of their situation but she wanted to help, to help him when she'd been too late to save him from Randy's unwanted attentions at the club. Of course she couldn't lose focus. Octavia turned back over as she relaxed and got comfortable. She rationalized that if Damien, who seemed to be the leader in all of this, was worried about her loyalty to them and the mission he wouldn't have fought so hard to involve her. Besides, Cody wouldn't want her hurt. He'd make sure she was safe.

The next morning Octavia woke up feeling a little bit better about being alone with Orton. After a quick shower and a light breakfast of an omelet and fresh fruit, she set about getting things ready for Orton's sponge bath. She smiled a little as she pulled the necessary items out of the bathroom cabinet, a small basin, a washcloth and a small bottle of body wash. This reminded her of a particular john that she serviced on occasion at the strip club. He would always tell her about this fantasy he had that involved her bathing him, dressing him for bed and letting him suck on her tits like a nursing infant until he fell asleep. She had to remind him that she didn't service johns outside the club so his fantasy was never going to come true.

She set all the items at the top of the stairs to the basement before going down them.

"Randy? You awake? I'm sure you're ready to clean yourself. It's been a few days."

Sure enough Randy was indeed awake. He rose from the bed looking a little annoyed but pleased by the idea of getting clean. Without being asked he walked to the center of the room and waited for her to reel the chain in. Orton watched as Octavia carefully brought the basin full of warm water near the bed before going back for the rest of the items. Once all the cleaning items were placed near his bed, Octavia grabbed the dinner tray from last night and set it on the bottom step before releasing the chain so Orton could move again.

"I'll be back in 15 minutes or so to bring you breakfast and take the bath items away."

Orton grunted a reply before turning to the bath items at his feet. Octavia took the tray upstairs and just as she locked the door she heard the faint ringing of the burner phone given to her by Austin.

"Oh shit! Shit! Shit!" she cried running through the cabin. She was out of breath when she made it to her bedroom, diving onto the bed to reach the nightstand the phone was vibrating on, still ringing shrilly.

"Shit! I'm mean hello?"

"Now Octavia is that how you answer the fucking phone?" Austin chuckled into the receiver. He could hear how out of breath she was and figured she must've sprinted for the phone which meant she was taking his warning seriously.

"Honey, just be glad I answered," replied Octavia knowing Austin could hear the smile in her voice. Sitting up cross legged she asked, "Are you checking up on me already?"

"I just wanted to see how things were going."

"Things are going well. I've brought all his meals without incident and he's been the model prisoner. Although…"

"Although what?"

"He asked about you last night. He already thought it was strange that I came downstairs by myself twice in a row."

Austin frowned. It was his fault Orton was already suspicious because he had to leave early to satiate his Shadow. "Just keep evading his questions. I'm sure one day that jackass will realize that I'm not there and when he does you need to be extremely careful."

"I'm always careful. Speaking of you being here, when are you and Damien and Cody coming back? Do you guys know yet?"

"It may be a month, maybe two but hopefully no more than that."

"Okay…" responded Octavia nodding to herself.

Austin heard the slight disappointment in her voice. "Look… if you want, I can call you everyday… so… you know…"

In spite of herself Octavia smiled. "So I don't get lonely? Why would I be lonely when I'm taking care of a freaking rapist all by myself?!"

At that Austin laughed out loud. "Hell, just forget it then!"

"You know I was kidding."

"Yeah I know 'Tavia," replied Austin. "Look, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Same time. And keep your goddamn phone nearby!"

"Yes sir, will do," said Octavia rolling her eyes but still smiling. "Goodbye Austin."

"Bye 'Tavia." And they both hit end on their phones.

Figuring it was time to bring Orton his breakfast, Octavia went back to the kitchen and grabbed the already prepared tray. After unlocking the door to the basement she headed downstairs with it to find that he was done with the bathing supplies.

Seeing her come down the stairs Orton scoffed. "The book you gave me is ridiculously bad."

Octavia chuckled. "I know. I read it the other day. I'll bring you something else tomorrow."

Orton smirked as he walked to the spot in the center of the room. After Octavia reeled him in she took the breakfast tray to his bed and put all the bathing supplies in the basin before carrying it back to the stairwell. She set it down on the bottom step and released the chain so Orton could move again.

"Hey!" called Orton "Can I get some crossword puzzles or something?"

"I'll see what I can do," replied Octavia before heading back upstairs.

 


	33. Nearly There

The European tour was over and the WWE superstars were back in the good old U.S. of A. Rhodes Scholars were back on the road, travelling to their next destination. Things were good between the tag team partners. Their relationship had fully blossomed while overseas and both men seemed to be the better for it.

Cody had started taking more liberties and initiating things with Damien more often. A stolen kiss here, a quick squeeze of the bicep there and Damien truly enjoyed the affection he was receiving from Cody in a way that he couldn't quite explain. Before the younger man had come into his life Damien had only truly enjoyed two things, wrestling and killing. Now Damien could see his life filling with possibility and Cody was a part of it all.

Even now as Damien drove their rental he would glance at the sleeping Cody occasionally out of his peripheral vision. He was imagining what it would be like to unleash their savagery on the imbecile, Randy Orton. Just the thought of all the different kinds of punishment the two could inflict upon the bastard thrilled Sandow. The physical torture was only the tip of the iceberg. Sandow intended to delve into the psychological and emotional, to completely mind fuck Orton till he begged for the slice of a blade. He wanted Orton to feel utterly hopeless and helpless where death would be a sweet release no matter how much pain it took to get there.

Damien felt a grin spread across his face at the thought. Absently he put his hand on Cody's thigh and squeezed as his mind wandered while trying hard to pay attention to the road. From what the two had heard through the rumor mill, it seemed that most people, including the police were assuming the worst when it came to Orton's disappearance. He'd had issues with drug use before and since that was common knowledge, so far, no one suspected foul play. Damien remembered how Cody's face had lit up upon hearing the news. The younger man had been worried from the start that their part in Randy's disappearance would be found out but it seemed that they were still in the clear.

"You've got that mastermind look on your face Damien," mumbled Cody looking at the older man. He grinned when Sandow glanced at him in surprise.

"How long have you been awake?" asked Damien.

"Since the first time you squeezed my thigh," laughed Cody. "I've been watching you for a while now. I can tell you're thinking about your Shadow and Randy."

"Can you blame me Cody? I'm ready, no, eager for us to move on to the next phase but it's not quite time yet."

"I understand Damien. Honestly I'm ready too. The waiting is killing me. And I'm worried about Octavia being alone with him all that time." Cody picked at a hangnail, frowning.

"She'll be fine Cody. I swear you don't give her enough credit. The woman is tough; she can handle herself and Orton as long as she remains cautious. Austin guaranteed me that she knows what to do to stay safe. And since it seems as though he may be smitten with her, I'm confident that he's confident."

Cody coughed thickly. "What?! You think Austin is in love with her?"

Sandow took his hand from Cody's thigh and rubbed at his beard thoughtfully. "I don't think Austin's capable of love Cody. But whatever form of attachment or bonding he  _is_  capable of, yes, he seems to feel some sort of affection for Octavia."

Now it was Cody's turn to look thoughtful. "Is this something to be worried about? Will he hurt her if she doesn't return his affection?"

"I don't think so. Austin will respect her decision should she not be swayed by his charms. However I believe he will try hard to win her over and it will probably work. I've never seen a woman turn him down after he set his sights on them."

"You don't think her career might make her immune to his charms? I mean I'm sure she's had to turn all types of men down."

Damien smirked. "Austin can be… persuasive. Besides, I don't think she's the first stripper he's ever set his sights on."

Cody frowned down into his lap. "Now I think you're the one not giving Octavia enough credit. In the short time we've known her she's shown that she can see people, really see them."

Sandow barked a harsh laugh. "If that were true Cody, do you think she would have agreed so readily to help two murderers? She absolutely did not see us for what we truly are and Austin has less control than we do in certain situations and he's managed to slip by her radar as well."

"Or maybe she knew and just didn't care," countered Cody. He gave a slight head tilt as he looked at his partner.

"Do you really think that if that woman knew about our Shadows… our needs… that she would gladly participate in our plan to obtain Orton? No Cody, she thinks this is purely about revenge and not part of a compulsion, part of our nature. If she knew even a quarter of our activities she would be terrified… horrified. And rightly so." Damien turned so that his attention was squarely on Cody for a few seconds before turning his attention back to the highway.

Cody sighed and turned to look out the passenger side window. "I think you're wrong about her Damien."

Now it was Sandow's turn to sigh. Clearly he wasn't going to sway Cody's opinion on this. It seemed that Austin wasn't the only person to develop some sort of attachment to the stripper. The silence in the car remained heavy at the brunt of their conversation. In an attempt to lighten the mood Damien gave Cody's thigh another quick squeeze. The younger man glanced at him and chuckled, shaking his head. Damien chuckled as well while his mind filled with images of a beaten, bloody and broken Randall Keith Orton once more.

"There's that look again," murmured Cody now staring at Sandow's face. He looked down in surprise as Damien's grip changed to a gentle squeeze and release. This felt way more intimate than the earlier squeeze as the older man's hand travelled to mid thigh. "Are you getting turned on while fantasizing about what we're going to do to Randy?"

Damien took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I do believe Orton's impending demise may have something to do with my current condition, yes. Does that bother you?"

Cody thought about the question for a moment. Finally he answered, "Not as much as it should."


	34. Payback's A Bitch

Randy turned on his side in the bed and glared at the sunlight coming in through the slim basement window. By his calculation he'd been in this wretched basement, held captive for over a month. When he'd first come to the realization that Octavia had no intentions on letting him go, at first he didn't know what to do, what to think. So he had begun following her instructions wearily, blindly because he didn't know what else to do. But after a while he realized that if he wanted to escape he'd have to earn her trust, make her feel like he wasn't a threat so that when the opportunity to take her by surprise presented itself he could take advantage.

That meant not being an infuriating dick which in spite of the situation at hand Orton was able to accomplish fairly well. Octavia remained cautious of him however but Randy had been working on an escape plan that would hopefully end with him being free and enacting revenge on that bitch for keeping him locked up like an animal.

A few nights ago, he'd been tossing and turning on the old bed when he felt something poking into his skin. A spring had come up through the mattress and as Orton had stared at the offending piece of metal he realized that that was his ticket out of this basement. It had taken some work but he'd managed to yank the coil free and after bending it to a suitable shape he'd begun trying to unlock the manacle around his ankle. It'd taken a while, how long he wasn't sure but when he heard the click and watched the metal fall from his ankle, Randy nearly cried tears of relief.

After sitting and relishing in his near freedom, Randy had gotten up and went to the basement door, hovering and listening. He'd come to the conclusion that Austin was no longer in the cabin a while ago and that it was just Octavia keeping him prisoner now. Looking at the door he saw that there were several locks in place. He decided to work on just one lock a night, figuring out and remembering just how to twist and turn the metal spring just right in order to unlock each one. And last night he'd figured out all but the last one. Tonight was going to be the night.

Now Randy sat up in bed as he heard Octavia coming down the stairs to bring him breakfast. As had come to be expected of him, he walked to the center of the room and waited for her to reel in the chain.

"Oh? So no sponge bath today?" asked Randy noticing the lack of bath supplies.

Octavia smacked her forehead. "Ugh, I completely forgot."

Randy raised an eyebrow as he watched her set the tray near his bed. "Something on your mind?"

"Nothing you need to be concerned about," replied Octavia as she headed back towards the stairs. After releasing the chain she added, "I'll be back to bring you dinner later." Then she headed back upstairs.

Once the basement door was locked, Octavia walked slowly through the house and headed to the bathroom. After using the toilet she discovered that her period had started which would explain her forgetfulness lately. Annoyed, she hopped in the shower and once she finished she got out, dried herself off and put in a tampon, glad she'd made the trip to the store the day before. Back in her bedroom she got dressed and was about to go clean the around the cabin when her cell phone began to ring. Quickly she snatched it up.

"Hello?"

"You've gotten better at answering right when I call 'Tavia," said Austin with a chuckle.

"What's up?" asked Octavia, reclining on the bed.

"I'm calling to let you know that we're on our way up to the cabin."

"Really?! Like now?" she exclaimed.

"Yeah like fucking now. We're arriving separate though. And I'll probably be an hour or so behind Damien and Cody. Maybe more, maybe less. You gonna be happy to see us?"

"Well of course honey," replied Octavia smiling. "After all I've only had Randy to keep me company for the past few weeks."

Austin laughed. "Aw, just admit it 'Tavia, you missed my ass."

"I missed the rest of you too," said Octavia completely deadpanned.

Austin laughed again. "Okay, I've got to go. It'll be late when we get there so if you're asleep, we'll try not to wake you. See you later."

"Later." And they both hit end on their phones.

Octavia smiled and shook her head. Suddenly she realized that she'd had her weave in for almost two months. Deciding that she didn't want them to see her looking exactly the same as when they'd last seen her Octavia thought she'd remove the synthetic hair and wear her hair naturally. Back in the bathroom she set about taking her hair down. It was a painstaking process but she finally managed to finish taking her hair down. After washing and conditioning she applied a few different products and let her hair air dry into small but loose curls all over her head. Truthfully she enjoyed her natural hair but while working at the strip club she worried she would lose customers and johns if she didn't wear a long flowing weave.

Once her hair was done she set about cleaning and picking up around the cabin. Octavia wasn't a messy person by any means but she definitely wanted the space to look clean and inviting for the men by the time they arrived. By the time she finished cleaning it was already time to get started on dinner. Because of how tired she was (partially due to the exhausting period symptoms) Octavia opted to fix a quick meal of deli sandwiches with sliced pickles and potato chips on the side. She ate first, chewing slowly and enjoying the meal before she prepared a tray to take downstairs to Orton.

She waited till he was in center of the room before reeling the chain in. When she walked over to drop his dinner tray off and to pick up his breakfast one she noticed that Orton was looking at her strangely. It was a look she'd seen on plenty of men in the past before they hurt her or someone she knew. It was the same look she'd seen on Orton when she and her fellow dancer left him alone with Cody that night in the club. Frowning, Octavia tried to ignore the sudden feeling of danger as she quickly head back over to the stairwell and released the chain.

As she walked up the steps she heard Orton call out to her in what almost sounded like a growl, "Good night Octavia."

Octavia shuddered as she locked the door behind her. She checked the locks a second and then a third time unable to shake the foreboding she felt. Walking into the kitchen, Octavia grabbed a glass and poured herself some of the honey bourbon she'd bought in town the day before and took a sip.

"It's okay Octavia… it's okay. It's just nerves that's all," she said to herself before taking another sip. "You're just nervous about seeing Austin, Cody and Damien again. Orton's secure. He can't get loose. You're safe, you're fine." The affirmation wasn't quite working though and Octavia finished off the liquid in her glass with a quick burning swallow before pouring some more. After finishing the second glass she finally felt relaxed, the alcohol providing her with a false sense of security. Another trip to the bathroom found Octavia changing her tampon, washing her face and brushing her teeth. She planned to lie in bed and read for a while before going to sleep early. She hoped to be awake when the guys arrived later in the night.

The alcohol in her system made the reading she wanted to do a bit more difficult so in the end she just turned the lamp off and went straight to sleep.

Meanwhile, downstairs Randy had already freed his ankle from the manacle and was working on the locks on the door. In between working on the locks he finished the food Octavia had brought for him, humming cheerfully to himself. He'd been working carefully and quietly for over an hour when the final lock turned and opened. Orton could barely contain himself as he opened the door quietly seeing the upstairs of the cabin for the first time in the dark.

Cody was driving the rental as they headed towards the cabin. Because the tag team partners weren't involved in any major storylines they had managed to get some time off together.

"We're almost there Damien," said Cody as they passed a highway sign telling them that the exit was coming up.

The older man opened an eye blearily and groaned as he sat up, shifting in his seat. "Good, I cannot wait to lie down in an actual bed. It feels as if we've been on the road all day."

"That's because we  _have_  been on the road all day," responded Cody, taking the exit. Then, changing the subject he added, "Do you think Austin will beat us there?"

"Knowing the way he drives? It's possible but we weren't as far away as he was on the road with TNA. We'll most likely beat him, if only by a half an hour."

Orton crept through the cabin quietly, trying like hell to not stumble on the furniture and alert Octavia to his presence. He had stopped in the kitchen to retrieve a knife from the wood block before making his way to her bedroom. The first bedroom was directly across the hall from the bathroom. Carefully and quietly he turned the door knob and pushed the door open. Moonlight came through the curtain and spilled over the bed and his eyes settled on Octavia sleeping peacefully. The young woman snored softly and Orton watched her a moment, amused, debating on just how rude her awakening was going to be. He walked into the bedroom, thankful for the much quieter track pants the bitch had brought him a few days ago. He'd never have been able to sneak up on her in those noisy wind suit pants Austin had given him.

With surprising agility, considering how long he'd been out of the wrestling ring, Randy leaped onto the bed, on top of Octavia, pressing the knife to her throat.

Octavia's eyes flew open and the sight of Randy on top of her nearly made her heart stop. "No…" she whispered.

"Surprise bitch," Randy chuckled evilly. "I bet I'm the last person you expected to find in your bed, huh?"

Octavia felt the steel of the blade against her neck and only that kept her from struggling. "What're you going to do to me? You got loose, you could just leave. The people who hired me are on their way back right now!"

Orton laughed loudly not believing her for one second. "I begged you for days, weeks to let me go. Now you're the one who's gonna beg." Orton took the hand that held the knife and punched Octavia with the handle. He laughed once more as she cried out in pain, her eyes rolling back in their sockets due to the powerful punch. Randy took that opportunity to throw the blankets back and slice up the material of her gown straight up the middle and lastly her underwear, leaving Octavia bare and exposed to his gaze.

Octavia came to feeling Randy's thick fingers probing her nether region roughly. She squirmed, instinctively trying to clench her thighs shut at least until she felt the knife at her throat again.

"Ah, what the hell is this?" questioned Randy seeing the string between her parted thighs. Octavia felt a tug down below and then a burning sensation as the mostly dry tampon was ripped from her body. She hissed before moaning at the pain.

Randy grabbed her wrists and brought them over her head before setting the knife down on the bed so he could pull his pants down.

"I'm going to make you beg Octavia. I'm going to make you scream and then I'm going to fucking kill you," threatened Orton.

"Sorry to disappoint you," whispered Octavia, trying like hell to keep her wits about her regardless of the fact she was about to be raped for the second time in her life. "But I don't beg."

"We'll see about that, won't we bitch?" asked Randy. He fumbled with his pants and in that split second his grip loosened around Octavia's wrists. In that moment she managed to slip one hand free and immediately grabbed the glass on the nightstand, smashing it into the side of Randy's head. The Viper howled in pain and grabbed his head while Octavia tumbled off the bed before scrambling to her feet and running out of the room.

Frantically Octavia ran into living room unsure of what to do next. She was naked and if she ran outside she could possibly freeze to death. The cabin wasn't very large and if she tried to hide it was likely Orton would find her before Austin and the others arrived. He'd find her, rape her and kill her. Octavia had made her peace with death a long time ago but the thought of another man violating her, using her body for his own carnal gratification by raping her wasn't something she could bear.

Unfortunately she didn't have much time to make a decision as she could hear Orton stumbling after her. Deciding trying to hide was a better option she turned to run towards the kitchen but her foot caught on the rug and she hit the floor hard. Before she even had a chance to get back up Orton's large body crashed into hers causing her head to snap back hitting the floor with a sharp crack.

Black blots swirled behind her eyes and Octavia gasped while she fought to not pass out. She felt the blade Orton had pressing hard and harder still into her neck. This time he drew blood and she felt it drip down the side of her neck.

"Mmmm, did that hurt? I'll bet it did, just like getting a glass slammed against your temple," said the Viper snidely. Right at that moment he heard what sounded like a car pulling up to the cabin and his eyes widened. The bitch had been telling the truth when she said someone was coming. "Come on, get your ass up!" growled Orton as he yanked the barely conscious woman to her feet. He dragged her back with him till he was in between the hallway that separated the living room from the basement door and kitchen, facing the front door as he held the knife to her throat.

 


	35. He's Got Skills

Cody pulled up to the cabin, noting that the lights were out.

"Damien, looks like Octavia's asleep," said the younger man as he put the car in park.

"We can leave the heavier luggage in trunk so as not to disturb her. Just take your carry on and toiletries bag," Damien said attempting to stifle a yawn.

The two men got out of the car with their bags and walked up the steps to the front porch of the cabin. Damien took out the key to the front door and opened it wide for him and Cody to come inside. Cody reached over and turned on the light and both men stopped and stared at the sight before them.

There stood Randy Orton clutching a nude Octavia to the front of his body while he held a knife to her throat. The woman swayed in his grip looking as if she were fighting to stay conscious. There was blood on her neck as well as some dripping from between her thighs. Orton was sporting a full beard and shaggy hair that spilled onto his forehead after weeks of not having access to clippers and a razor. The Viper was staring back at Rhodes Scholars with a curious look somewhere between rage and confusion.

Cody set his bag down and turned to give his partner a wide eyed look of surprise that was promptly returned. How the hell could this have happened? What were they going to do now?

The three men stared at each other for several long moments in a way that would have been comical if not for the situation at hand.

"So… I guess you two are the ones paying this slut to keep me locked up, hmm?" asked Orton, jostling Octavia a bit when he said the word 'slut'. She moaned but didn't say a word.

Damien's lips were in a thin, tight line. His mind was working furiously trying to come up with a way to take Orton down without Octavia being hurt anymore.

"Yeah it was us," answered Cody finally. His eyes were on Octavia's face, trying to determine just how injured she was. Her being wobbly and nude was definitely a bad sign.

"What the fuck for?!" yelled Randy suddenly livid. "What did I do to deserve being locked up like some goddamned dog?"

Sandow raised both his eyebrows incredulously. "Is that a serious question?" he asked. Damien looked from Cody back to Randy and shook his head at the seemingly oblivious man.

Randy followed Damien's gaze and a light bulb seemed to come on. "What? Are you… Oh for fuck's sake Cody! Let me guess. You went and told your partner there that I  _forced_  myself on you, didn't you?"

Cody frowned. "That's because you did."

Randy laughed darkly. "You wanted it Cody. You wanted my dick and I fucking gave it to you."

"I told you 'No!' Randy! I begged you to stop! I pleaded with you to stop!" cried the younger man. The shame and rage that he thought he'd gotten over came to the surface once more at the memory of that hellish night.

The Viper shrugged. "Whatever man. You loved it, just like this bitch here did tonight," said Orton, the lie leaving his lips easily, said only to hurt the two men. "Now here's what's going to happen next. One of you is going to toss me the keys to your car out there and you'll both get the fuck out of my way or I slice this bitch up right in front of you."

Meanwhile…

Austin was pulling up to the cabin, exhausted but excited about what was to come. As he got closer he noticed something strange. The front door was wide open and he could just make out the forms of Cody and Damien standing in the doorway. Concerned he parked down the drive and got out of his jeep, walking the rest of the way, wide around the cabin to come to the back door.

Taking care to not let the keys jingle he used one to unlock the back door before creeping quietly into the kitchen. He could see that Orton had somehow escaped and was holding Octavia hostage. The instantaneous rage he felt he squashed it so he could neutralize the situation. Silently he crept behind the man, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

Damien noticed Austin's presence first and hoped like hell that if Cody saw him too that he didn't react in a way to alert Randy.

"Look Orton what're you asking for simply isn't feasible. Especially not now," said Sandow trying to keep his gaze steady.

"I guess not," said The Viper. "Because when I get out of here, I'm coming back with something out of my famous gun collection."

Right at that moment Austin threw himself at Randy's legs knocking the big man off balance as he started to fall backwards. Octavia flew out of his grip and Sandow lurched forward to catch her while Orton wind milled while trying to unsuccessfully to break his fall. Sandow passed Octavia to Cody before diving to the ground to help Aries subdue Orton.

"Get the fuck off me!" roared Orton. He still had the knife in hand but Austin had his arm in a vice grip to keep from getting slashed. Damien had his other hand and was straddling the big man while he struggled.

"Ah shit! I'm slipping Damien!" cried Aries. Both men were mere seconds away from getting stabbed as Orton grew more and more frantic.

Damien took a deep breath and brought his head down hard and heavy onto Orton's effectively knocking him out. Austin yanked the knife out of Orton's hand and flung it into the kitchen. He sat up and stared at Sandow wide eyed.

"Since when do you head butt people?" asked the smaller man.

Sandow shrugged. "It's barbaric but it works." Then looking down at the fallen Viper he added, "Let's get him back downstairs and hopefully we can figure out how he managed to escape. Cody, take Octavia to the bathroom and put her in the shower with the water slightly cool. I'm not sure but it looks like she has a concussion and the cold water will help orient her and stop any bleeding."

Cody carried the near unconscious woman to the bathroom and did as Sandow suggested. It seemed to work and she moaned as she came around. Finally able to focus she gave a weary smile when saw Cody looking down at her worriedly.

"Honey I'm so glad you all came back when you did."

In spite of himself, Cody smiled back. "Me too."

In the basement, once Orton was safely secured with the manacle once more around his ankle, Austin and Damien began looking for how he'd managed to get out. On the stairwell, sitting next to the empty tray Austin picked up the mattress coil turned key.

"Here Sandow," he said tossing it to the older man. "It's from the goddamned mattress!"

Damien caught the metal object and frowned. "Let's get that bed out of his reach. His comfort is no longer of my concern since his days are numbered anyway."

The two men moved the bed to the back of the cellar. While they were doing so, Austin made a face, appearing to be lost in thought.

Knowing that look, Damien went ahead and asked. "What is it Austin?"

"Did you ask Cody yet if I could help deal with this asshole?"

Sandow gave a small smile. "Indeed I have. He's agreed to let you participate though I can't say to what extent."

Aries grinned and it lit up his entire face. "Fanfuckingtastic! When do we start?"

"Well it was going to be tomorrow. But after the way this night has gone, I say in another day. We're all too wound up, too excited to make it last in a way that will satisfy us all." Once they finished moving the bed the two picked up the items around Orton that he'd been using to pass the time in the basement, leaving him with nothing but a few sheets from the bed. Once they were done Sandow turned back to Aries, a questioning look on his face.

"By the way Austin, how did you know that Orton was loose and to come around to the back door?"

Aries laughed a little heading towards the stairs. "How many times do I have to fucking tell you Sandow? I'm a goddamned ninja."


	36. A Three-Sixty Of Comfort

Octavia lay in bed, shivering. She was curled up on her side in the fetal position, trying like hell to relax and get warm. Cody stood next to the bed, concerned.

Glancing over her shoulder at him she couldn't help but give him a small smile. "I'm so sorry you have to see me like this. I don't know why I'm like this. I mean he didn't even rape me…"

Cody shook his head. "He still assaulted you and threatened your life. You're allowed to fall apart."

Octavia moaned miserably and hunched in on herself even more. "I hate this. I hate  _being_  like this. It makes me feel weak."

"You're not weak Octavia," assured Cody. "Not even close."

Without a second thought, Cody began removing his clothes and when he was clad only in boxer-briefs he laid the clothes neatly in the chair by the window. After turning out the overhead light but deciding to leave the lamp on the nightstand on, he climbed into bed next to Octavia, wrapping his arms around her. He spooned her, hoping to warm her and will her body to relax. It took some time but it worked. Slowly she uncurled and allowed herself to stretch out, feeling safe in Cody's arms.

After some time she giggled but without humor. "We're right back where we started from, hmm?"

Cody gave a brief chuckle. "Certainly seems that way. But I didn't start off by giving you a lap dance."

He grinned against the back of her neck and Octavia tittered, remembering how utterly uninterested he was in her dancing that night months ago. Eventually the two fell back into silence. Sometime later Cody noticed that her breathing had deepened and evened out. She was asleep. A quick glance at the clock showed that it was nearly 7 am. Although he was tired, exhausted even, Cody still felt anxious about all the events that had happened in the past few hours. He couldn't believe how close they'd come to finding Octavia dead and Randy gone. A disastrous situation had nearly turned catastrophic. It was only pure dumb luck that they'd arrived when they had and that Austin had been able to take Orton by surprise. All these near disasters were sure to put Damien on edge as well since his plan had almost gone completely awry.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Sandow entered the bedroom and began disrobing. He had just pulled on his pajama bottoms when he realized that Cody was not in bed alone. He raised an eyebrow as he looked down at his partner wrapped around the sleeping woman.

"May I ask what is she doing in our bed?"

Cody smiled sheepishly. "Orton attacked her in her bed so I brought her in here. You don't mind do you?"

Sandow put fisted hands on his hips and stared up at the ceiling, thinking. He was a little annoyed with Octavia's presence but he could understand why she wouldn't be able to rest in her own bed. Sighing, Sandow looked down at the younger man. He could see the determined glint in his eyes, the stubborn set of his jaw as if silently daring Damien to put the woman out of their room. It was that protective drive he had that kept him from willingly hunting women and prostitutes and what had almost ended their partnership when Sandow had chosen to ignore it.

The older man took a deep breath and sighed once more, finally making up his mind. "No I suppose not. But it's almost sunrise. Where am I supposed to sleep?"

"It's a king sized bed Damien. There's room for you behind me."

"Ever practical, aren't you Rhodes?" asked Sandow with a grin.

Cody shrugged but smiled back, relieved that Damien was allowing him to comfort Octavia. Sandow pulled back the blankets and climbed in next to Cody, immediately wrapping his arm around his partner's trim waist. Once settled he laid a gentle kiss on Cody's shoulder to show he was truly okay with their sleeping arrangements.

"We almost lost everything today. I should be enraged at our failures but all I feel right now is exhaustion. That and relief that we managed to salvage the operation."

"I know Damien, but it wasn't anyone's fault," said Cody, trying to comfort his partner.

"It is  _my_  fault Cody. I should have foreseen this."

"Foreseen what? How did he escape?"

Sandow growled at the thought. "The slack-jawed mouth breather took one of the springs from the mattress and used it to pick all of the locks. All of our preparation, all of our planning nearly made moot all because of one simple piece of metal."

Cody made a small impressed noise. "I didn't realize Randy was that smart."

"He was being faced with death. Survival requires some kind of ingenuity."

"Maybe," responded Cody. "But he didn't know he was going to die before."

Damien gave a quiet, dark laugh. "If he didn't know then, he certainly knows now."

The orange-red of the morning sun slowly began to light up the bedroom. Sandow reached over and turned off the bedside lamp before settling in against Cody once more. The younger man seemed to have finally joined Octavia in sleep and Damien intended to follow suit. As his eyes closed he wondered briefly if Octavia receiving comfort from Cody and by extension, himself, would upset Austin. He growled low in his throat at the thought as sleep claimed him. He was just too tired to care.

In the bedroom diagonally across from the master where the threesome slept, Austin lay in bed silently seething. After he had helped Damien clean up the basement and then straighten up the living room he'd taken a shower. Once dry and dressed he had seen that Octavia's bedroom was empty and had stood outside Damien and Cody's bedroom listening. She was in there with them! Asleep in their bed! He knew she had to be upset, though that may be putting it mildly. But dammit he was the one who should be comforting her! Not Sandow and especially not Cody! Austin shook his head before rolling over on to his stomach. He had to get some sleep. Brooding over the situation wasn't going to help anything.

The sun was on the other side of the sky when Octavia woke up. Her body was sore and her head ached but it was her growling stomach that roused her from sleep. She shifted and realized that Cody's arm was still around her waist. She smiled until she realized that a more private part of his body was pressing into her lower back. Octavia raised an eyebrow. She knew that morning wood didn't discriminate but still found it strange. At least until she sat up slowly so as not to wake him and found that Damien was in bed with them as well.

Octavia smiled wickedly as the thought percolated inside her brain. She watched their faces and listened to their breathing for a few moments trying to determine if all her movement had disturbed them. Satisfied that they were still asleep, she leaned over and lifted the blanket to see if Damien was hard as well, affecting Cody even in his sleep.

"That's incredibly rude my dear," murmured Sandow with his eyes still closed.

Octavia squeaked in surprise as her hand flew to her chest. "My god!" Then feeling a little embarrassed she giggled. "Oh honey, I'm sorry. You can't blame a girl for being curious. Your boy here was poking me in the back. I had to know if he was getting the same treatment."

Damien opened his eyes and looked at her indignantly. "I certainly am not some horny uncontrollable teenage boy." Cody moved back against the older man, seeking his touch even in sleep and Damien was unable to stop the hiss that left his lips. Cody had pressed back against Sandow's own erection and he couldn't help but close his eyes at the delicious friction. When he opened them again he found a smug looking Octavia staring down at him. They stared at each other a moment before laughing quietly.

Catching her breath, Octavia saw that Cody was still sleeping peacefully. "Does he always sleep this hard? He's even drooling on the pillow."

"Always."

"Must be nice," said Octavia, still smiling. She rose from the bed, found her robe and slipped it on. "Well if you'll excuse me, I think I'll get started on breakfast." But after looking at the clock and seeing that it was after 4pm she hesitated. "Hmmm, or maybe brunch?"

Sandow followed her gaze and nodded. "Brunch would be wonderful Octavia."

Once in the kitchen the stripper set about fixing their late brunch. She wasn't used to cooking for so many large and healthy looking men so it took a bit more time but she wanted to make sure there was enough food to go around. Octavia couldn't help but notice that the knife Orton had used on her last night wasn't in its usual spot on the wood block. After she finished cooking and setting the table she realized that the men weren't going to get up without help. She went to Damien and Cody's room first. She entered without knocking and saw that they were both awake and just sitting in bed talking.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude not to knock before entering a room?" said Sandow dryly.

Octavia smirked. "All the time. Honestly I was kinda hoping I was interrupting something." She said the last with wiggle of her eyebrows that caused Sandow to roll his eyes and Cody to stare at her incredulously.

"Octavia!" exclaimed the younger man. His cheeks were actually burning at the thought of being caught in a compromising position with Damien.

Octavia shrugged but continued to smile. "Brunch is on the table guys," she said before leaving the room. Next she went to Austin's room and again she opened the door without knocking. It looked as if the man was still asleep so she went to the head of the bed and put a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently.

"Austin? Honey, brunch is ready."

Faster than she could blink he'd reached out and grabbed her by her upper arms, rolling and pulling her with him till he was on his back and she was straddling his waist. Gasping Octavia put her hands on his chest to steady herself, vaguely annoyed at being startled.

"A simple, 'Okay, I'm up' would have sufficed," grumbled Octavia.

Austin smirked up at her. "True, but not nearly as much fun."

Octavia sighed and then smiled in spite of herself. "And what if it hadn't been me but one of the other two?"

Austin shrugged which in turn made Octavia raise an eyebrow.

"Is everyone in this cabin sexually ambiguous?" Shaking her head she climbed off of Aries but before she could turn to leave the room he grabbed her wrist. She looked down at him in surprise.

"I know last night was extremely hard for you. Are you okay? I want the truth and not some generic, 'I'm fine'" said Austin. He looked genuinely concerned for her and it touched the stripper in a way Aries hadn't before.

"I'm getting there Austin. I'm getting there. Now let's go eat before it gets cold."

The four sat at the kitchen table enjoying the meal that Octavia had prepared for them. Austin was cracking jokes and Cody and Octavia were joining him in laughter, the conversation staying surprisingly light and mostly humorous as if to offset the trauma from the night before. Damien participated minimally, his mind working overtime. He was seeing Octavia in a new and interesting way, realizing for the first time that she was more than a tool to be used for his plan against Orton. He could see she was doing her best to brush off Orton's attack but not by becoming numb and unresponsive. And it was obvious that Austin and now Cody were more than fond of the woman. Sandow had to admit, she was intriguing him as well.


	37. Flood Gates Open

The rest of the evening was very chill and relaxed. Octavia sat in the oversized chair nearest the window with her legs curled up beneath her while she read her newest paperback novel. Cody was sitting on one end of the couch playing a game on his cell phone or at least trying to. He was incredibly tense knowing that sometime soon he and Damien were going to go downstairs to begin the destruction of Randy Orton. All the weeks, no months of planning and preparation were going to come down to what would happen in the next few days and Cody did not feel ready. The man chained up in the basement used to be his friend, his mentor and now he was going to kill him.

Damien was sitting next to Cody on the couch, playing a game of Sudoku from the newspaper Octavia had purchased in town several days ago but he could sense the younger man's anxiety. He was unconcerned. With the exception of woman he had tried to force Cody to kill in the tunnels, Sandow had always done what was best for Rhodes and their partnership. He was fairly certain that once they got started, once Cody's Shadow was unleashed, Orton would cease to be a former friend and become the prey they had all worked so hard to obtain.

Austin was sitting on the other end of the couch and he could plainly see how anxious Cody was. It was driving him nuts! He couldn't fathom anything greater than putting serious hurt on Orton and making him suffer. Austin was ready to take things to the next level but he knew not to mention it until Damien gave the okay. A sudden smile came across his face as Aries remembered what it was like to unleash their Shadows on their prey together.

It was why he'd been so adamant about joining their quest for revenge. Sandow was the only person who got him, who truly understood him and Aries felt that nobody would ever come close to that for him again. He watched as Damien reached over to pat Rhodes' knee and rolled his eyes when the younger man dropped his phone, startled. Sandow only chuckled as he reached down to pick up the phone and hand it back to Cody, brushing his hand with his fingertips as he did so.

Octavia looked up from her book, both amused and touched at the subtle display of intimacy between the two men. They seemed much more in tune with each other than the last time she saw them and it was really sweet to see.

Unable to take it anymore, Aries stood up and cleared his throat to get Sandow's attention. "Hey man, can I talk to you for a sec?"

Sandow sighed wearily before getting up from the couch to follow Aries into the kitchen.

"What is it Austin?" he asked. Already Damien could tell this conversation was going somewhere he didn't want it to by how agitated Aries was.

Austin paced back and forth in front of Damien trying to collect his thoughts before he spoke. He knew if what he had to say came out too emotional Sandow would shut him down immediately.

"Cody's not ready Sandow," said Austin finally. He stopped pacing to look the other man in the eyes.

"He'll be fine, Austin," replied Damien coolly. "Cody has always needed some coaxing but he always performs when it's time. In fact, he excels."

Austin shook his head. "Look man, you and I both know he can't fucking handle this! He used to be friends with that bastard downstairs. He won't be right after this, I guaranfuckingtee it."

Sandow's eyes flicked towards the living room before settling back on Austin. "Will you keep your voice down!" he hissed. Then more quietly he added, "Cody has always had a Shadow, I merely brought it out of him."

At that Austin's eyes wanted to pop out of his skull. "Waitaminute… Are you saying that Cody didn't come to you first? That you went to him?" Aries chuckled without humor as he shook his head. "Jesus fucking Christ Sandow! No wonder you two nearly split! You're either like us, a fucking monster with urges that need to be dealt with, or you're not! You can't force this shit on someone!"

"I didn't force him," grumbled Damien indignantly. "He welcomed his Shadow and my own with open arms."

Austin frowned hard. "So why did you two almost split then? Huh?"

Sandow hesitated. He really didn't want to tell Aries why but knew the shorter man wouldn't leave him alone until he did. Once more his eyes flicked towards the direction of the living room.

Looking back at Austin he said, "Because Cody refused prey I had picked out for him. A woman."

Austin tilted his head to the side, staring at Damien like he didn't know who he was looking at anymore. "Are you fucking kidding me? I know you Sandow. You like to cut a bitch's throat as much as I do and Cody fucking Rhodes pussed out on you?"

Damien's eyes narrowed but he didn't respond.

Austin shook his head laughing darkly. "I don't fucking believe this!" He paced a small circle around the kitchen before stopping directly in front of his former partner.

"Are you really okay with locking away part of yourself for  _him_? Are you fucking serious? Do you really want to only glide and not open up your fucking wings to really fly? Is he worth taming your Shadow? With me you'd never have to change. With me you could wreak havoc and I wouldn't stop you. I'd encourage you, revel in it with you." Austin stepped closer to Damien so they would have been nose to nose if it weren't for the height difference.

"Cody's weak. He's fucking soft. You don't' have to be."

"What did you just say?" asked Sandow. His voice was dangerously quiet. "I'm not sure I heard you. Please repeat it."

Austin was undeterred, determined to get his frustrations out in the open. "You heard me. Rhodes is a weak motherfucker and he's making you a bitch too."

Damien's eyes widened and his nostril's flared. The audacity of him! Sandow's arm shot out and his hand was suddenly around Austin's throat. He had the shorter man in a strangle hold, bringing him to his toes. Aries' hands flew to his throat in surprise his eyes widening at the ever increasing pressure. Damien growled, his teeth baring, his face fearsome as he stared into Austin's darkening face.

In spite of being choked or perhaps because of it, Austin smirked at Damien. He released his grip on Damien's hand around his throat and brought his arms out to the sides of him in a crucifixion pose. The look on his face went serene as he waited for Sandow to either finish him off or to let him go.

Sandow shook as he stared angrily into Aries' smug face. He knew he had to release the man in another thirty seconds or less or risk killing him. Disgusted he shoved the shorter man away from him and turned away to grip the countertop while counting to twenty, hoping to calm down.

Austin doubled over and coughed violently as he struggled to pull oxygen back into his lungs.

From the living room Octavia called, "Hey? Are you okay in there?"

Austin stared at Damien's tense back as he yelled back, "Yeah, just choked on some water is all." Then to Damien he said, "You think Cody can handle  _that_  side of you?" He raised an eyebrow as he waited for an answer.

Damien took in a deep breath before blowing it out slowly. He turned to glare at Aries. "Cody doesn't push my buttons the way you do. You enjoy getting a rise out of me."

"And you continue to let me do it," laughed Austin shaking his head. "Face it, we wouldn't be having this problem if you had just fucked me instead of Rhodes. You wouldn't have cut me out of your life. We'd still be partners; slicing up bitches left and right."

Sandow shot him an incredulous look before laughing himself. "We would have killed each other;  _after_  we drove each other insane first." Austin joined him in laughter, the tension between them finally bleeding out.

"Hey man," said Austin attempting to change the subject. "I brought some goodies for us to use on Orton. I think you'll get a motherfucking kick out of 'em."

Sandow nodded with a small smile. "I'm sure you did. Tomorrow morning is when we begin, you can show me then."

Aries grinned before turning to head back to the living room. As he went to walk past Sandow, the older man put a hand on his chest, preventing him from continuing further.

He looked deep into Austin's eyes commanding his attention.

"Do not ever speak of Cody Rhodes in such a manner to me  _or_  to him again. Do you understand me Aries?" His tone was deadly serious conveying to the other man that he meant business.

Austin grinned tightly into Sandow's face. "I got it." Then when Sandow didn't move he added, "I understand man."

In the cellar of the cabin Orton sat on the dirt floor, thinking on the predicament he found himself in. He had blown it royally last night by not just leaving when he'd gotten free instead of trying to enact payback on Octavia. He was cold and his head throbbed. He'd come to the realization that after he'd come to from being knocked out last night on the floor that they were probably going to kill him. He was going to die and all because of some misunderstanding between him and Cody Rhodes!

Randy wrapped the thin bed sheets around himself trying like hell to get warm. Maybe he could find a way out of this. Maybe he could talk his way out of this. Maybe he could show those jackasses just how wrong they were about Randy Orton.

 


	38. The Beginning Of The End

Randy Orton awoke in the dark on the dirt floor of the basement. He didn't remember falling asleep and was unsure of the time. But  _something_  had roused him from sleep. He sat up, leaning back on his elbows, the thin sheets crumpled in his grip as he listened, his eyes wide, trying desperately to see in the pitch black room.

There it was again! He couldn't see anything but he heard it more clearly this time. It was a strange whispery sound, like something sliding across the floor.

Alarmed, Orton wanted to get up and run but where would he go? Only as far as his chain would allow him which wasn't far at all. For the moment he continued to sit and listen, determined to make sense of what he was hearing.

Suddenly he felt something scaly brush across his leg and another scaly something across his belly on top of the sheet. Orton bellowed loudly as he jumped to his feet, finally figuring out what was happening.

There were snakes in the basement with him! It was pitch black so he couldn't see where they were exactly and that only served to heighten his fear. He cried out loudly, pitifully as he began trying to kick the unknown number of snakes away from him. Now he could hear them hissing warnings at him and he began yelling towards what he thought was the direction of the stairs.

"Help me! Help me! Oh fuck, please! Please! You've got to get these fucking snakes! Help me! Fuck!"

Desperate to be free of the nightmarish creatures winding around his bare feet, Randy stomped down as hard as he could. He missed. His foot hit nothing but dirt. But seconds later he felt a searing pain near his ankle. Orton screamed a sound full of pain and terror. He could still feel the fangs; the snake was still attached to him, doling out primitive justice for being attacked. Blindly Randy reached for his leg and grabbed hold of the squirming muscular creature. He yanked it and felt the fangs tear through his flesh before he flung the offending snake far away from him. That very second he felt another pair of sharp fangs piercing his flesh, the pain unbearable.

Once again Orton screamed. He was in hell. This was hell.

Upstairs in the kitchen, Octavia and Austin were at the counter, chopping up vegetables for the omelets they planned to fix for breakfast. Orton's latest terror filled cries carried into the kitchen, even through the basement door.

Octavia and Austin both looked up, stopping what they were doing. They turned towards each other simultaneously before bursting out laughing.

Octavia continued to giggle as she turned back to the mushrooms she was chopping up. "What the hell did you guys do to him?"

Austin's face held a smirk, looking as if he were trying to keep from laughing again while he sliced up the green onions. "I hit up a pet store on the way here. Bought some snakes and tossed them down there last night while he was sleep. Damien blacked out the basement window from the outside so it's fucking dark down there too. Asshole can't see the shit he's fighting."

Octavia raised an eyebrow while turning her attention now to slicing up some green and red peppers. "What kind of snakes?"

Austin paused a moment, thinking. "Umm, I got a few ball pythons. They're pretty much harmless unless threatened. Also got a fuckin' viper. The venom glands have been removed but the bite still hurts like a sonofabitch. So I'm told."

"Wow, you put a lot of thought into this huh?" asked Octavia going to crack eggs into a large mixing bowl now.

"Hell yeah I did. I even bought you one 'Tavia," said Austin with grin.

Octavia stopped what she was doing, turning slowly to stare at Austin. "You bought me a snake?"

Austin nodded. "Yeah, a ball python. He's in my room."

At that Octavia looked taken aback. "How… I was in your room last night! I didn't see it then… or this morning."

Austin shrugged. "It's in a carrier in the closet. Guess I wanted to surprise you."

Octavia smiled, though inside she a little less pleased. She was still not sure at all how to respond to Aries subtle and not so subtle advances towards her. She closed her eyes a moment, remembering how she had ended up in his room last night.

Octavia had tried to going to sleep in her own room and bed last night, wanting to give Damien and Cody the privacy they needed. Unfortunately she hadn't even been able to make it to the bed. She had stood at the foot of the bed, staring through the fresh sheets that she had put on it earlier that day. It took a few moments but she realized that she wasn't going to be able to stay in there the night. After she pulled her robe on over her nightgown Octavia headed into the living room. Stretching out on the couch she turned the light off and fell asleep quickly.

A little after midnight Austin had gotten up to use the restroom. When he exited the bathroom he couldn't help but notice that Octavia's bedroom door was open. A peek inside and he saw that she wasn't in bed. Thinking she may have gotten up to get some water or something from the kitchen he headed that way, stopping when he saw that she was in fact laying on the couch, sleeping.

Unconcerned that Octavia might be less than appreciative; he bent down and gathered her carefully in his arms before taking her to his bedroom. It was a little awkward due to her being taller than him, but had Aries managed.

Octavia didn't wake until after Austin had lain her down before climbing into bed himself.

Feeling the mattress sink in beside her Octavia's eyes had popped open. "Wha…? What's going on?"

"You're safe 'Tavia," said Austin behind a powerful yawn. "You're fine. I brought you in here so you could get a fucking decent night's sleep."

"But Austin…" protested Octavia.

"Shut up 'Tavia," interrupted Aries, gripping her wrist beneath the sheet as if to keep her from leaving the bed. He closed his eyes, attempting to get comfortable.

Octavia tried again. "Austin I was  _fine_  out there…"

"Just shut up 'Tavia and go the fuck to sleep." The man's tone had left no room to argue. Octavia had finally sighed and closed her eyes as well, drifting off even before Aries had.

Bringing herself back to the present Octavia went back to preparing their meal. After a few moments of silence she asked Austin, "Hey, where are Cody and Damien? I haven't seen them all morning."

Downstairs in the basement Orton had finally stopped screaming. It seemed as though the movement around his feet had finally stopped. He had been bitten four more times before he'd finally stomped or flung the last of the snakes away from him. Now he stood bleeding, breathing hard, shaking still from fear.

Suddenly the overhead basement lights came on and Randy was momentarily blinded. When he was finally able to focus, his fear was immediately replaced with rage. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Damien and Cody were sitting at the top of the basement stairs, each holding a pair of expensive looking night vision goggles, staring at him in a way that made Randy's skin crawl. Sandow's eyes held merriment as if he'd been watching a beloved Broadway play or musical while Cody seemed amused, like he was trying to hold back joyous laughter. They had been there the entire time, watching Orton flail about like a man possessed while he lost it trying to destroy the snakes that had covered his body while he slept.

Cody watched as Damien went down the steps to turn the crank, forcing Randy to the center of the room much to their prey's dismay. Orton although pissed, was hurting and unbelievably tired as the adrenaline started to leave his body so he trudged without comment to the center of the room.

Sandow found himself standing in front of Randy with about two feet of empty space between them. He knew that if Randy were so inclined he could reach for him, but was unconcerned as long as he had Cody at his back. He looked the man up and down, taking note of the five sets of fang marks on Orton's feet, legs and ankles. The bites were nasty bloody gashes, made worse by Randy's panic and ripping the snakes from his flesh.

"You know, for someone whose nickname is the Viper, I have to say I'm a bit disappointed in how you handled waking up with your  _brethren_ ," said Sandow dryly. The twinkle in his eye however, showed that he was anything but disappointed. Positively tickled seemed the more likely candidate.

Randy's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. "You try waking up covered in goddamn snakes and see how you react!"

"I can guarantee I wouldn't flail about like some primitive beast in the dark," replied Sandow as an amused smirk curled his lips.

"Fuck you Sandow," spat Orton. Then noticing that Cody had climbed down the steps too and was standing a few feet behind the other man he added, "And fuck you too Rhodes."

Cody shrugged as he came to stand next to his partner. "I wish I could take credit for the snakes Randy since I knew you didn't much care for them. But it was actually Austin's idea."

"And you'll be able to thank him personally in due time, but I think we should chat first," said Sandow. The look in his eyes turned wicked and Orton felt his near empty stomach turn. He'd only been given some bread and water since the showdown in the living room the night before and that combined with waking up surrounded by snakes made his stomach twist uncomfortably.

"You know Orton, it's hard to believe a man like you could become so successful," began Sandow, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're an ignoramus, an overgrown man child who doesn't take responsibility for his actions. I've watched for years as you've been handed opportunity after opportunity when you clearly didn't care to take advantage."

"A third generation superstar who couldn't make it as a marine so he decided to use wrestling as his backup plan," added Cody while mirroring Sandow's movements by folding his arms across his chest as well.

The two men began walking in a wide circle around Randy, berating him and belittling him the entire time.

"You're such a pathetic waste of space," said Sandow. "It's no wonder you turned to drugs."

"You had to kill the pain," continued Cody. "Numbing it with narcotics helped you forget how utterly worthless you are. You're father couldn't even stand the sight of you…"

"And you disappointed every person that mattered in your life," added Damien.

"I'll bet you didn't know how your father signed away his legacy to get Vince to make you champion," said Cody, smirking at the flicker of surprise on Randy's face. "That's right Randy; my father told me all about it. You didn't become the youngest champion because you earned it. It was because your  _daddy_  begged the man in charge. You're a loser."

"Such a disappointment indeed." Sandow nodded, mostly to himself. "And now look where you are. Your transgressions have finally caught up with you Orton. Your fate was sealed when you put your hands on my best friend and partner and now it's time to atone for your sins."

Randy had been standing utterly still, his hands in tight fists at his sides as the words being said to him brought up painful memories. His insecurities were running rampant inside his head. He'd always suspected that he wasn't given the title based on his own merit, but to hear it like that from Cody, surprisingly hurt.

"Fuck you! Fuck you both!" snarled Randy. "Do you think you can hurt me?! Do you?! You can't! You can't fucking touch me!"

At that Sandow merely smiled. "Oh we've just started Orton. And by the time we've finished you'll be begging us for death."

Right then there was a knock on the basement door before they heard it open and Austin yelling, "Food's ready! Get your asses up here before it gets cold!"

"We'll be back soon," said Damien heading towards the stairs with Cody trailing him.


	39. The Shadow Emerges

The foursome sat at the kitchen table enjoying their breakfast. It all seemed very ordinary as Sandow and Aries were talking about returning to work after Orton was dealt with. Octavia commented here and there about different things that were discussed. Cody on the other hand was oddly silent. He ate while a thoughtful expression stayed on his face.

Noticing this Damien asked, "What's on your mind Cody?"

"Well, it's just that I was thinking to myself how I figured I would have been more bothered by us starting in on Randy today," answered Cody before taking a sip of orange juice. Once he set the cup down, his brow furrowed as he continued. "But I don't feel anything other than relief and elated now that we've started."

Damien fought not to shoot a triumphant glare in Aries' direction though he knew the other man's eyes were on him. To Cody he said, "Good. I knew that you would excel once it came down to it. And by the way, can I just say how proud I was of you, bringing Orton's father into it. Beautiful! Was it true?"

A faint blush came to Cody's cheeks. "Thanks. And yes, everything I said was true. My dad used to tell me all sorts of things about the Orton family when I was involved in Legacy. I guess it was his way of making sure I didn't get too close to Randy so I didn't fall with him."

Unable to help himself, Sandow turned to Austin finally noticing with amusement the begrudging acceptance on the shorter man's face.

"Are you all going to finish him off today?" asked Octavia. She set her fork down, finished with her meal while she waited for an answer.

Damien considered her question. After a moment he said, "No… Tomorrow will be acceptable. Cody? Austin? Do you have a problem with that?"

Cody shook his head before going back to his food.

Austin laughed. "Whenever-thefuck-ever Sandow. Shit, just so long as I get to be a part of it."

"Absolutely Austin, you can participate tomorrow. Today should be just for Cody and I."

"Fine Damien," replied Aries vaguely annoyed at having to wait another day. "While you two play I'm going to go into town for a while. I don't know when I'll be back but it'll definitely be before tomorrow morning."

Sandow nodded before finishing the rest of his meal.

Meanwhile in the basement, Orton continued to stand wearily. Sandow hadn't released the crank before going upstairs so he was unable to get comfortable. He had the option to sit but knowing there might still be living snakes in the basement he refused to sit on the floor and make himself vulnerable. The bites he had were throbbing and aching. He wondered if the snakes that had bitten him were venomous. He didn't actually feel ill but with those psychos upstairs there was no telling.

Randy could hear them in the kitchen, talking and laughing. It made him sick to know they carried on like normal everyday people when they weren't down here torturing him.

Sometime later, after Randy had been standing for god knows how long he heard the door to the basement open. He watched as Damien and Cody came downstairs each holding several items. Sandow was holding the butcher knife from the kitchen and what looked like a bottle of vodka. Rhodes was carrying a handheld blowtorch and a butterfly knife.

Immediately Orton tensed as he knew without a shadow of a doubt they were going to use those items on him. They had walked downstairs with purpose; with the intent to hurt him.

"Well… I see you didn't want to risk being injured by your scaly brethren," said Sandow mockingly. He smiled at the narrowed eyed look Orton was giving him before setting the items he'd brought down on the floor. He walked up the man, much closer than before. Then without warning he hit Orton with a straight on punch to the nose. The taller man cried out in pain, blood spraying from his nose, before taking a swing at Damien who dodged it easily. He feinted like a boxer and threw another punch and another and another. All his hits connected and Randy was helpless to dodge them. The last one, a punch to the jaw rocked him and before he knew what was happening Sandow had moved behind him and locked his arms behind his back with Damien's own, effectively immobilizing him.

"Alright Cody," said Sandow somewhat breathlessly. "He's all yours."

The younger man didn't seem the least bit hesitant as he picked his weapon of choice up. Cody walked up to Orton and flipped open his butterfly knife. He could see the fear in his former friend's eyes and it did nothing to move him. Cody held the knife against the center of Orton's collar bone and sliced straight down to the top of his pants. It was a thin but long cut and Randy hissed at the pain, attempting to pull away from Sandow.

Cody looked thoughtful and made a few more slices across Randy's chest. Each cut deeper than the last. He watched gleefully as the skin split open to make room for the blade, as the blood welled from each cut and ran in rivulets down the Viper's body. Deciding he wanted more skin available to him, Cody used the knife to cut away Orton's pants, leaving him completely nude between him and Sandow. At this Randy started breathing quickly and shallowly as Aries' words about rape came back to haunt him.

"Please man," whispered Orton. "Please… Whatever you're about to do. Don't do it Cody." Embarrassingly he felt tears slip out of his eyes while he pleaded with his former friend.

Cody made a face like he was considering Orton's request. But his words only served to piss him off. It was almost the same plea he'd made to Randy before being savagely raped by the man. Rolling his eyes in disgust Cody dropped the knife on the floor behind him and went to pick up the bottle of vodka. He twisted it open and gave Sandow a wink before splashing the contents all over Randy's body.

The pain was immediate. Randy cried out as every cut and every snake bite burned with the touch of alcohol. Cody splashed him a couple more times relishing the hisses and growls of pain emitted by the Viper. Sandow chuckled out loud as the vodka had been Cody's idea. But the next item the younger man picked up was definitely Damien's.

Cody had the mini blowtorch in hand. He had been careful not to get any of the alcohol on himself so he turned it on without fear. A blue flame appeared on the end of it, hissing as it expelled butane. He waved the blowtorch in front of Randy's face, smirking with satisfaction at the wide eyed look of horror on his face.

"You've got a lot of open wounds there," said Cody with a dark chuckle. "Wouldn't want you to get an infection Randall. Here, let me cauterize those for you…"

Cody knelt down and brought the flame to the snake bite on Randy's ankle. The Viper howled in pain as he felt his flesh burn. Because of the alcohol still dripping from his body, the fire spread on its own to wherever the liquid still was. Randy fought to free himself while he screamed in agony. Sandow only held him tighter, locking his arms in place by holding his hands against Orton's back. He watched Cody's face while he worked, over Orton's shoulder and what he saw was beautiful. His partner wore a look of concentration, biting his bottom lip thoughtfully as he figured out where else to put the flame.

The smell of Orton's flesh burning filled the basement as Cody touched the flame to his skin over and over again. Soon he'd covered every slice of the knife he'd made and every single snake bite with the flame of the blowtorch leaving Randy's skin red and blistering, raw and peeling. Some of his skin was even black in places where Cody had let the flame linger. He admired his handiwork, completely pleased, practically glowing with pride and excitement.

At some point Randy had stopped screaming and became dead weight. He had passed out from the extreme pain inflicted upon him.

"He's out Cody," said Sandow. "Step back so I can release him." Cody did as he asked and Damien dropped Randy, amused when his body thudded to the ground.

"Now what Damien? I wasn't finished with him." Cody's face held a pout that made his partner smile.

"We take turns in the shower and relax a bit before coming back down here to try again," replied Sandow. Truthfully, Sandow was more than a little turned on and figured the shower would calm him down. Just watching Cody so wholly embrace his Shadow and so creatively too had made the front of his pants incredibly tight. But remembering what had happened the last time sex had driven a kill with Aries years ago was enough to force Damien to keep it together.

But Damien was lying to himself by not admitting how good it had felt to let go like that, to well and truly fly. Shaking his head as if trying to force the memories back, he followed Cody up the stairs.

 


	40. Falling In Love With The Thrill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Lovesong" cover by Snake River Conspiracy   
> "Beat It Up Right" and "Getting Off" by KoRn  
> and "Adultery" by Dog Fashion Disco all had a hand in helping me with this chapter :)

Octavia was bored. Austin had left, rather abruptly after breakfast and once she finished clearing the dishes she was alone with nothing to do. She tried reading but the screaming and bellowing of Randy Orton made it extremely difficult to concentrate on that. After a while she just wandered around the cabin, dusting and straightening up; anything to keep busy so she wouldn't focus on what was happening downstairs.

Damien and Cody were back in the basement staring down at a nearly broken Randy Orton. The man was on his knees before them, his head hanging down to his chest, his hair falling into his eyes. His skin was a mess, bleeding and burned from Cody's attentions earlier in the day. Randy knew they weren't finished with him. When were they going to be finished with him? They were going to kill him, that much was certain. But when? Was he ready to die?

Sandow had an idea of what Cody wanted to do next and he prepared for it by moving behind Orton once more to immobilize him. He locked the man's arms behind his back and used his legs to keep Orton on his knees. This was a bit more on the uncomfortable side for Sandow but if Rhodes was going to do what he thought he was then it would be worth the discomfort.

Randy had let Sandow restrain him without much of a struggle. He was hurting, he was tired and most of all he was ready for this sick business to be over.

However, for the second time that day Randy tried to appeal to Cody though deep down he knew the situation was hopeless. "Look Cody… Sandow… I've taken everything you two have dished out. I don't have anything left…." The Viper sounded as tired as he felt. "Can't you just let me go? We'll call it even. I swear I won't press charges! I just want to go home."

That last was said with such defeat it was like it hurt Randy to admit it. A far less disciplined killer might have been swayed by The Viper's emotional words but Sandow had taught Cody Rhodes well. This time Cody picked up the butcher knife from the kitchen. It was the same knife that Orton had used on Octavia when he had tried to escape. Orton was alert enough to notice and he instantly filled with dread.

"I swear… I swear to fucking god I didn't touch her!" blurted Randy. His eyes were wide and his breath was starting to come in harsh pants.

Cody smirked as he knelt down in front of the already kneeling Viper. "She says different. She can't even sleep in her own bed Randy and she says you're the reason. But in the end, it doesn't matter. This was going to happen anyway." Cody looked into Sandow's eyes and saw that they were smiling at him. He gave his partner the patented Cody Rhodes joyful megawatt smile before bringing the knife high over his head and jamming it into Orton's left thigh.

The howl that left Randy's lips was immediate and gut wrenching. He struggled in Sandow's grip, trying desperately to get free but simply wasn't strong enough to do it. Tears fell from his eyes and he grit his teeth, determined not to cry out again. Cody left the knife in Randy's thigh while he reached for the butterfly knife which he'd decided months ago was his weapon of choice. With his free hand he reached for Orton's limp manhood and stared into Randy's eyes as he did so. Randy's breathing had escalated, his eyes going even wider and frantic, animal like.

The first slice of the blade made Orton bellow in such a way that barely sounded human. As Cody continued to saw at the piece of flesh in his hand; Randy screamed, shrieked and bucked trying in vain to escape this hellish torment. After he'd thrown the tip of Orton's penis into some far corner of the basement, The Viper had lost consciousness yet again. Sandow stood up and allowed Randy's limp body to fall back.

It was then Cody noticed how hard his partner was. The fact that Damien was making no move to hide his condition or try to control it was… intriguing. Giving him a big smile, Cody reached down and yanked the butcher knife from Orton's thigh, gasping in surprise when some blood shot up and onto his face, neck and chest.

That was it for Sandow. He walked to Cody and quickly pulled the younger man to his feet before yanking Cody to him for an intense tongue dueling kiss. He could taste Orton's blood on Cody and it only fueled his desire for his partner more. They continued to kiss over their prey's bleeding, unconscious body, things getting more and more heated by the second. Cody could feel Damien's hardness pressing into him which only served to make him hard as well. Damien's scent, his heat, his beard brushing Cody's face as they kissed all of it increased the euphoria of enacting his revenge on Randy Orton. Cody was so high he didn't know if he'd ever come down.

Octavia was standing in the hallway, staring at the basement door. Randy's screams had gotten very intense and then cut off abruptly. Had they gone and killed him too early? What was happening down there? Curiosity got the best of her and she opened the door quietly. She crept down a few steps, hoping to see what was happening without being spotted. What she saw, Octavia not prepared for.

She saw a bloody, mangled Orton laying unconscious on the dirt floor. But what grabbed her attention were the two men standing over Orton, locking lips as if their lives depended on it. Oddly enough, Octavia found herself turned on by this display, rubbing her neck sensuously, absently as she watched.

Damien could not get enough of Cody. And the younger man was giving as good as he got, pushing up against Sandow, whimpering a bit at the growls of pleasure coming from his partner. Damien forced Cody's head to the side and licked a line from his collarbone to his jaw, catching some of Randy's blood along the way. Just then he happened to spy Octavia on the stairs. The stripper's lips were parted slightly and she was rubbing her neck in a way that made Sandow smirk wickedly.

The witch was obviously turned on by what she was witnessing. Any other time Damien would have chastised her and forced her on her way but this time Sandow was hardly paying attention to his voice of reason; the voice that balanced out his more nefarious deeds with common sense and practicality, the very things that kept him and Cody safe. His Shadow was in complete control and for the first time in years Damien allowed himself to embrace that fact.

When Octavia caught the dark haired man's eye she froze, embarrassed at being caught spying like that. She made a move to leave but saw him give her a meaningful look full of heat before nodding in the direction of his and Cody's bedroom. The look he gave her sent a delightful shock straight to her groin and Octavia got up quickly and quietly to head up the stairs.

"Cody," breathed the older man. "Let's go upstairs. There's so much I want to do and this isn't the right place for it." There was a hint of a growl to his voice and his tone made Cody shiver. Something was different about Sandow and he was excited to find out what it was.

The two men stumbled into the bedroom pulling off their clothes while trying desperately to continue kissing only stopping to breathe. Finally nude and free, Damien shoved Cody onto the side of the bed. He crawled up the length of the younger man's toned and lean body before capturing his mouth once more. His hand found its way to Cody's dick and he gripped it tightly, making the younger man moan. Slowly he began to slide his hand his hand up and down the shaft, slickening his hand with Cody's precum as he went. Sandow felt his turgid manhood leaking as he pleasured Cody but his Shadow welcomed the primal nature of the situation. A simple turn of his head showed that Octavia had indeed gotten his message, and loud and clear by the look of things. She was clad only in a bra and panties. One of her legs was hiked up on the arm of the chair and her right hand disappeared from view inside her underwear. Her left hand rubbed at her breasts through her bra, the friction deliciously torturous.

Octavia couldn't believe the sight in front of her was affecting her like this. She had participated in many sex acts in her life, both in prostitution and for pleasure, but this was by far the most erotic. Damien was handling Cody like he knew his every desire and how to light all his nerve endings on fire. So unbelievably hot was the scene in front of her, Octavia's first orgasm crept up on her and she gasped softly, her legs trembling, eyes slamming shut as the waves of pleasure washed over her.

Through his lust filled haze, Cody heard the feminine gasp, looking over in shock to see Octavia looking right back at him. Damien didn't give his partner time to feel embarrassed. He reached over into the nightstand, quickly finding the lube and putting a generous dollop on his hand. Sandow used it to slick himself and Cody's entrance, earning a guttural moan from the younger man as he slid two fingers into his tight warmth.

The stripper watched as the older man lined himself up before plunging deep inside of Cody. The look of pure satisfaction on both of their faces was glorious and Octavia found herself getting turned on again. She watched the two for several minutes, Cody reaching up and rubbing his hands all along Damien's chest, Damien, in between smooth rolling thrusts, jacking Cody off and then giving him those same fingers to suck on… It was all very erotic.

In an attempt to keep from coming too soon, Sandow glanced in Octavia direction. He could see that she was still aroused and he had a sudden flash of insight.

"Remove your panties Octavia and join us," panted Damien.

It amazed the woman how the man could still sound so cultured but simultaneously animalistic. His voice was deep and sexy. She felt warm all over as she obeyed his command. Once on the bed she was unsure of where to position herself and voiced as much.

"Where do you want me?" whispered Octavia thickly.

Damien slowed his thrusts inside Cody, causing the younger man to moan with displeasure. Sandow smirked but helped Octavia so that she was on her hands and knees, straddling Cody.

Cody was staring up into Octavia's face but his body was on fire so whatever embarrassment he might have felt was rendered completely irrelevant.

"Hi," he whispered shyly but with a smile. Octavia smiled right back before claiming his lips in a sweet skillful kiss. With Damien pumping slowly into him and the beautiful stripper kissing him, Cody didn't think he was going to last much longer. His dick was painfully hard and his balls were already drawing up and tense, his orgasm imminent.

The position she was in put Octavia's dark ample ass right in Sandow's face. With a groan he increased the pace of his thrusts while he reached between Octavia's thighs to massage her clit earning pleased moans from the woman. When that wasn't enough for him he took his fingers and twirled the string from her tampon to pull it out slowly. He watched her back tense but she didn't stop kissing and fondling Cody so he continued until it was completely removed, dropped on the floor, already forgotten.

Her period was mostly over so her bleeding was light but it was still enough to help quench his Shadow's animalistic thirst. Two of Damien's fingers replaced the tampon and he almost lost it at the feel of her, coupled with being sheathed inside of one Cody Rhodes. Octavia was incredibly wet, a mixture of some menstruating blood and her arousal. This was the ultimate in primal for Sandow and he had to fight to keep from coming, including slowing his thrusts inside Cody's ass.

Suddenly Damien removed his fingers from inside her sucking on them quickly while he smacked Octavia's ass with his other hand, attempting to get her attention. The sight and feel of it prompted him to do it again and when she sat up to look over her shoulder at him he gave her such a dark and devious look she didn't know if she should stay or run out of the room.

"Ride him," growled Sandow. When he saw Octavia reach for Cody's rock hard dick he shook his head. "No my dear. His face." The last was said with an expectant head tilt as if silently daring Octavia not to comply.

Hearing him Cody moaned impatiently. He was so ready to come, practically ready to blow but he couldn't help but anticipate this next move.

Octavia had shivered at Damien's request but shifted to do what he asked, her body heated from the inside out. When she felt Cody kissing her nether lips, Octavia couldn't help but cry out in joyous pleasure, still sensitive from Sandow's earlier ministrations.

"Ah! Cody… yes… right there," moaned Octavia as Cody alternated sucking on her clit and thrusting his tongue deep inside her. She looked up into Damien's face and the look she saw there both frightened and excited her.

"Suck him," rumbled Sandow. He was close, so close and when he saw the stripper's full and kiss swollen lips close around his partner's cock it started an orgasmic chain reaction between the three. Sandow came first with an uncharacteristic roar, still pumping his hips as his essence spurted hot, fast and deep inside Cody's ass. At being filled by Damien's release, Cody soon followed, thrusting up into Octavia's mouth whom was unprepared for his load but swallowed it all anyway. Cody still had the presence of mind to want Octavia to join him and his partner in bliss so he continued to feast on her pussy till she came shortly after him with a surprised pleasure filled shriek.

Sandow and Octavia fell to their sides in the king sized bed, lying next to Cody breathing hard as they eventually came down from their peak.

After a few moments of silence Octavia was the first to speak.

"So…" she started somewhat breathlessly. "I thought you two were gay."

Damien and Cody both chuckled, still overcome with little after shocks from their orgasms to show how truly amused they were at her comment.

"Never said we were," laughed Cody lightly.

"Clearly," said Octavia with a giggle. "I don't think I've ever come so hard in my entire life. Honey, my legs are still shaking. But I think I need to get up and clean myself up." Octavia made a move as if to sit up and was surprised to feel a hand clamp around her wrist. It was Damien's.

"Oh no my dear. You're not going anywhere," said Sandow. There was an odd light in his eyes and a glance down his body showed that he was hard once again. She watched as he nodded at Cody, shivering when she felt the younger man's hands roaming her body from his position behind her. Octavia involuntarily closed her eyes as amazingly she felt aroused all over again, a slow burn starting in the pit of her stomach.

"Yes… that's it," murmured Damien. The Shadow inside was not yet sated and he so wanted it to be. "We're not done with you yet."


	41. Fresh Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Fresh Blood" by Eels is the theme for this chapter.

Austin Aries sat at the bar drinking a beer. He had played pool pretty much all day since he left the house, sometimes by himself and other times with a few of the local bar regulars. They had made ridiculous bets but Aries didn't mind showing the men up and taking their money. He had used his pool earnings to buy every drink he'd had that night.

_"_ _I'm not drunk," he thought to himself as he stared blankly at the television on the wall. "Shit, am I slurring my goddamn thoughts? I better stop."_  And Aries put the beer down before glancing at his watch. It was getting rather late. He knew how Damien liked to drag things out but there was no way he was still torturing Orton and it was after 11 p.m.

_"_ _I better head back. I hope I'm not weaving too much out of here. Damien would fucking kill me if he knew I was drawing attention to myself. Fuck…"_  Austin tried to walk as steadily as he could to the jeep he parked outside. After that it was a painstaking drive back to the cabin. It was snowing and he was drunk but he was determined to make it. He wanted to have enough time to sleep off the beer and liquor he consumed before they dealt the death blow to Orton in the morning; bright and early if he knew Sandow at all. Austin smiled at the thought. It had been years since he last killed with his former partner.

Meanwhile…

"Ugh! Oh fuck! Oh shit!" cried Octavia breathlessly, her legs shaking as the waves of pleasure washed over her. Before this earth shattering orgasm, the stripper had actually tried to crabwalk backwards away from the two men in bed with her. The pleasure they unleashed on her was so intense that she wanted to escape, she desperately wanted a breather. Neither Damien nor Cody was having that and they simultaneously grabbed her legs and yanked her back, forcing her thighs far apart to assault her wet folds with their tongues and lips. Seeing the two dark heads of hair between her legs… feeling them lavish her clit and quivering hole at the same time had been her undoing as they pleasured her without mercy.

Her eyes had slammed shut the moment her orgasm hit and Octavia tried to slow her breathing while she waited for her body to stop trembling. When she opened her eyes again the sight in front of her nearly made her stop breathing entirely.

The room was mostly dark, save for the moonlight coming in through the curtains. But she could see that perhaps her period wasn't as light as she had previously thought. There were noticeable smears of blood on the bottom half of Cody Rhodes face. If there was any on Sandow it was hard to tell due to his magnificent beard. The sight, the smell, the taste of the blood was what seemed to be driving this incredible bout of mind numbing sex as far as Octavia could tell. She leaned back on her elbows, thankful for the break and watched as Cody and Damien kissed each other hungrily. Damien grabbed the back of Cody's head, bringing him forcefully to him as their lips smashed together, bruising. Cody aggressively nipped at his partner's lips which brought forth a series of rumbling growls from the older man.

Sandow pulled away from Cody, breathing hard. He pushed down on the younger man's shoulders, no pretense about what he wanted. When Cody's lips closed around his pulsing, leaking dick, Damien let loose with a loud deep moan. Octavia looked on, fighting back a moan of her own when Sandow grabbed Cody's face to begin fucking it himself. Rhodes gripped his partner's ass, gagging some when Damien's dick hit the back of his throat.

The brutal face fucking continue for several more minutes, when once again, Sandow pulled away from Cody, his dick leaving the younger man's mouth with a slight pop. Octavia moaned softly but attempted to stifle the sound. It didn't work and both men turned to look at her. She could see that the odd light in their eyes remained, more noticeable with Damien since it was in sharp contrast to his normally stoic demeanor. Unsure she could handle anymore sexual stimulation, oral or otherwise, the stripper attempted to roll up and off the bed but only succeeded on tumbling to the floor.

"Shit, that hurt!" exclaimed Octavia. She got to her hands and knees, trying to get to her feet. "Look guys, it's been fun but…" And whatever else she was about to say died in her throat. Suddenly before her was Cody Rhodes and she could do nothing but admire his nude, toned, sexy body. His cock was standing proudly at attention and slick with his dribbling precum. He held a hand down to her, his face betraying nothing. Her legs suddenly felt weak so she took the offered hand and allowed Cody to help her to her feet. Before she could pull away, he pulled her roughly to him, groaning softly at the contact made by her soft curvy body against his. His fingers played at the small of her back while he kissed up the side of her neck. Rhodes stopped at her pulse point, sucking the soft skin there. It was pleasurable, no doubt, so Octavia melted with his touch, allowing him to continue.

Damien was sitting and watching his young partner with the stripper and he found the sight immensely enjoyable. But he simply couldn't let it continue on for much longer without getting a piece himself. He smiled and his cock jumped at the thought of joining the two. He got up from the bed and came up behind Octavia, wrapping his arms around her. Sandow's hand traveled up the length of her body, from her hips to her waist, from her waist to her breasts, massaging and tweaking her dark nipples. Octavia hissed; the tweaking almost painful because she was so sensitive already.

"Please…" she whispered. "I can't…"

Damien grinned wickedly as he felt her tremble. "Please what my dear?" He cupped her right breast, squeezing gently.

"Damien… I can't…"

Sandow smirked and looked Cody in the eyes whom was still licking and sucking on the stripper's throat. Cody looked down at Damien's offering and smirked as well before bending down to take Octavia's nipple in his mouth. Damien continued to gently squeeze her breast while Cody sucked and flicked his tongue over the hardened peak. Octavia felt trapped between them, trapped by the pleasure they kept inflicting upon her, trapped by her desire to be a part of this strange intense and primal need these two men had. She felt herself being maneuvered towards the bed once more and she couldn't decide if she was more afraid or excited…

Austin finally made it back to the cabin. The snow had lightened to flurries when he was about half way there, making the commute a bit easier for him still being intoxicated. He noted with amusement as he walked up the steps that the cabin was dark.

_"_ _Figures. Sandow and Rhodes are probably already in bed, sleeping off their Shadow high… I hope 'Tavia is asleep on the couch again. Would love to fucking carry her ass to my bed…"_

Austin walked into the cabin and closed the door behind him. It was indeed dark but there was no sleeping 'Tavia waiting for him on the couch. Then he heard something. It sounded like muffled cries but not of pain. They got louder and more insistent with each step he took.

Aries walked towards the master bedroom his heart pounding. The sounds he was hearing, the thumping of the headboard hitting the wall… throaty grunts and growls… feminine shrieks… all of it clued him in to what was happening but he still had to see. He opened the door to the master suite and at first he only registered a tangle of arms and legs till he was finally able to make sense of what he was actually looking at.

Sandow was standing on the floor, pumping savagely into Octavia whose legs he held to increase the power of his thrusts. She was on her stomach on the bed, her curvy ebony body almost hidden from view by the rumpled sheets. Cody Rhodes was on his knees in front of Octavia, pumping his hips against the strippers face, holding her head up to keep her from choking on his dick. The younger man bit his bottom lip as he watched his partner work. He leaned forward, slowing his thrusts to taste Damien's lips and the lingering blood from earlier.

The rage that enveloped Aries was instantaneous and frightening but he still couldn't look away. It was bad enough that Damien had chosen fucking Dashing fucking Rhodes to be his new partner, but now they were tag teaming 'Tavia too? Sandow  _knew_  how he felt about her! The wooden floor creaked a bit under his weight and the sound caused Sandow to turn his head in Austin's direction. At the same time Octavia's pussy clamped down around Sandow's, her umpteenth orgasm for the night and Damien couldn't help himself, he came too. His eyes closed briefly on Aries' as he shuddered and groaned his release, emptying himself deep inside Octavia. Austin turned on his heel, his body shaking with betrayal and rage as he strode out of the room.

Damien pulled out of Octavia carefully before grabbing up his robe and quickly following his former partner down the hall.

"Austin! Austin wait!" Sandow caught up to Aries at the front door and put a hand on the shorter man's shoulder.

"Don't motherfucking touch me!" rumbled Aries. "I will fucking hurt you Damien." He turned to give Sandow a furious glare.

"Aries, don't leave! Especially not like this. Take some time to cool down and we can discuss what happened here tonight." Sandow was trying to remain calm, but he'd seen that look on Austin's face before and it worried him.

"Fuck you! Fuck you motherfucker!" exclaimed Austin. The man was livid and he didn't know how he managed to control himself around Damien thus far. But his control was wearing thin and it showed in how he shoved the taller man away from him before striding quickly out the door, his boots thumping down the wooden steps of the cabin. In no time at all he was back in the jeep and turning the keys in the ignition. The tires squealed as he tried to gain traction on the snow before driving away.

Damien stood in the doorway of the cabin, his robe flapping around him in the wind and he yelled out to Austin.

"Austin! Austin! You jealous ignoramus! Don't do anything stupid!"

 


	42. Sorry, Not Sorry

Damien Sandow sat on the couch fresh out of the shower and clad in clean black silk pajama pants and his royal blue robe. He stared into the crackling fire in the ornate fireplace thinking heavily about all the questionable and downright stupid mistakes made in the past few days. From Orton nearly escaping and causing harm to his hired caretaker to getting involved with Octavia herself and Austin walking in on it. The whole thing was one big sordid mess!

It had been years since Sandow allowed himself to be completely carnal with his desires. For once since he'd taken Cody under his wing he had simply wanted to let go, to do something reckless without regard for the consequences later. Cody covered in blood while slashing at Orton with such unabashed glee had diminished his tightly reigned control but Octavia's presence on the basement stairs had completely shattered it and Sandow had welcomed the release. It shocked him some, even now how far he had taken things with his beloved partner Cody Rhodes and the stripper Octavia. And now he was sure that Austin Aries was out there in the town somewhere, making other people pay for the rage Sandow had caused him.

Did Damien regret what he'd done? No. Regret is a waste of time, and does nothing to help the situation. But he was man enough to realize that the consequences of his actions might be something he may be unequipped to deal with. Austin Aries had the power to take them all down in his careless fury by unleashing his wrath upon the unsuspecting town folk.

Sandow shook his head, remembering that it wouldn't be the first time Aries endangered him.

_6 Years Ago…_

_Damien smiled to himself as he walked to the hotel room that his partner had specified over the phone. It had been weeks since they had a kill together, even though they both had killed separately just last weekend. But there was something different about hunting and killing prey with Aries. The shorter man made Sandow feel more energetic and alive as they tortured, maimed and killed._

_Finally he arrived at room 236 and knocked. He heard Aries yelling, telling him it was "Open!"and he walked inside. To his surprise he saw Austin sitting on the questionably clean, queen sized bed with a young woman. The girl was no older than 19, laying on her side, obviously drunk or high or both._

_"_ _Hey man! This is… Oh shit, what's your name baby?"_

_The girl giggled drunkenly, unconcerned she was in a hotel room with a man who didn't know her name. "It's Lee Ann!"_

_"_ _Damien, this is Lee Ann," said Aries with a purposeful twang to his voice. "She wants to party with us."_

_Unsure of where Austin planned to take this Sandow decided to play along. He ducked his head in greeting before walking up to the bed and taking the girl's soft, warm hand in his. "Hello Lee Ann. It's nice to meet you." The girl giggled once more, her cheeks turning pink at Damien's gentlemanly greeting._

_Austin smirked at his partner as he nuzzled against the girl's cheek, his stubble bringing forth another giggle. He pulled away, only to press his lips against her cheek. Austin's eyes were on Damien's, silently conveying his intent as he licked a line up Lee Ann's neck. The girl's giggles stopped abruptly and turned into moans, wanton and loud._

_"_ _Oh man," murmured Lee Ann. "I'm so freaking horny right now…"_

_"_ _Good," said Austin gruffly. He paused in his attentions to remove his shirt and jeans, leaving him clad only in boxers and socks. He pounced on the girl and she gasped at his weight suddenly on her. Aries began kissing her in earnest, doing all he could to produce moans from the girl._

_Damien stood there a moment and watched as his partner skillfully handled Lee Ann, having her squirming and writhing with pleasure from just his hands alone. When the girl finally reached orgasm Aries sat up and gave Sandow an expectant head tilt._

_"_ _You gonna keep standing there dude? Or are you gonna join us?"_

_Lee Ann moaned and rolled onto her stomach so she could see Damien clearly. "Yeah," she breathed. "C'mon and join us!"_

_Sandow began removing his clothes, feeling conflicted but ultimately deciding this was something he wanted to experience with Austin. For the next few hours, the two men had Lee Ann in each and every way possible. The drugs and the alcohol in her system kept her a compliant if not an eager participant while they folded her up and used her body for their pleasure. The room filled with the masculine grunts and groans of the men and soft panting and moans from the teen._

_Austin climaxed first, shooting his load down Lee Ann's throat who worked hard to swallow it all from her position on her back. Austin sighed with his release but wasted no time in reaching into his pants pocket on the floor and pulling out a butterfly knife._

_Damien saw the knife immediately but instead of jumping up and asking the man what the hell he was planning on doing, he continued to pump himself inside Lee Ann's pussy. He was actually getting even more turned on by his unpredictable partner's actions._

_Aries sat back on his heels next to Lee Ann's head and waved the knife in her face._

_"_ _Well lookie what I've found!" he crooned._

_Whatever drugs Lee Ann had taken at the beginning of the night were still very much in her system and therefore keeping her from realizing the danger that she was in. Lee Ann laughed a little and then moaned as Sandow slowed his thrusts, rolling his hips. It was partially for his own pleasure and partially to help distract the teen and it seemed to be working. Lee Ann only reached down to stroke one hand across Sandow's abs while reaching up for Austin's already hardening dick._

_Austin moaned at her touch, throwing his head back as she squeezed and released him. Sitting back up he focused on Sandow a moment before lightly dragging the blade in his hands down the center of Lee Ann's chest, starting between her breasts and ending at the top of her belly button. Blood welled at the wound but didn't spill over. The teen barely noticed, her senses almost dulled entirely by drugs. Sandow, however, noticed and his eyes darkened, his Shadow taking over completely. He watched as Austin did it again, this time against the Lee Ann's side, the blade going over top of her ribs and ending at her hip. Sandow began thrusting wildly into Lee Ann, the sight of the blood making him feverish with need._

_Aries chuckled maniacally and began slashing the teen in earnest, finally earning him the screams he truly wanted. Lee Ann struggled against the two men but wouldn't have been a match for them sober, let alone wasted. Austin squeezed her throat to silence her cries as he shoved himself back in her mouth simultaneously cutting her over and over again. And through it all Sandow never broke his stride, the sight, the feel and the taste of the blood making him wild and Austin fed off his need and Lee Ann's slow, bloody death. At some point during this, Austin slashed the carotid artery in her neck and they were both sprayed crimson. Damien came suddenly with a deep groan and Austin followed with a grunt of his own._

_His release was strong, beautiful and satisfying but the euphoria Sandow felt didn't last long. He was brought back to reality when he immediately realized the monumental mess he and his partner were in. The room was wrecked. Blood coated nearly every available surface and had soaked through the sheets and into the mattress. Angry and disgusted with himself Sandow pulled out of the teen's still warm body and stood up from the bed before putting fisted hands on his hips._

_Aries stood up as well and admired his handiwork. "Goddamn that was fucking amazing Damien!"_

_"_ _Well I hope you remember that when we're headed towards death row or spending the next hundred years in federal prison!" blurted Sandow angrily._

_Austin tilted his head the side truly confused. "What are you talking about man?"_

_"_ _This!" exploded Sandow gesturing towards everything. "This spontaneous bullshit is going to get us arrested!"_

_Austin seemed less concerned. "Shit man, we'll be fine. It's just going to take some time clean up is all. Besides I've got more knives and a saw in my trunk. We'll just cut up her body and dump it when we leave."_

_"_ _What about the mattress! The blood all over the walls? The floor? We're bound to miss some of it!" yelled Sandow._

_Austin could see that his partner was well and truly upset and he tried to soothe the taller man. "It's okay Damien. We can handle this."_

_It was a painstaking process but after many hours of cleaning and sawing, the room no longer looked like the scene of a grisly murder. There was no way they could have brought up a new mattress without being seen so they opted to just flip the old one instead. The girl's body had been disposed of and Sandow finally felt like he could relax. But the thought of how he'd lost control so utterly with Aries frightened him in a way nothing else ever had since he first sated his Shadow years ago._

_As they left the motel room and headed to their prospective cars Sandow stopped Aries and the shorter man turned to face him._

_"_ _I don't think we should hunt together anymore," said Damien quietly and wasting no time._

_Austin's eyes narrowed. "What?! Why?"_

_"_ _Because we're going to get caught. I lose control when I'm with you and that is dangerous for me." Damien took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. He knew he was right about this._

_Austin on the other hand was shook to his core. "But... Shit man! You had the time of your fucking life last night!_ We _had the time of our fucking lives last night. You can't tell me you didn't enjoy that shit Damien!"_

_"_ _Of course I did," responded Sandow. "But it was risky and careless, two things we should never be if we want to keep feeding our Shadows." He sighed and put a hand on Aries' shoulder, taking note of the dismay filling his partner's eyes. "I'll call you if I ever need you, but we must part ways. Goodbye Austin." And with that Damien continued the short walk to his car and didn't look back._

The Present…

Damien clasped his hands together and leaned his head back onto the sofa. What he'd done tonight with Octavia and Cody was not better or worse than what he'd done with Austin 6 years ago. It was just different. But he should have thought, he should have stopped himself before it got out of hand and Austin walked in on it. Austin had never wanted their partnership to end and it was plain to see he was jealous of Cody Rhodes. Austin had grown fond of Octavia while Damien and Cody were away, strengthening their own bonds and Damien had made her into a willing participant for his Shadow's needs.

"Everything's such a goddamn mess…" whispered Sandow as he allowed his eyes to close.

The slam of a car door jerked Sandow awake. It was morning. The sun was up and streaming through the curtains of the cabin. The fire had long since burned out and it was chilly in the living room. Sandow stood up and waited for Aries to enter the cabin. He heard thumps up the steps and the click of the lock before the door swung open. Austin Aries flung himself into the room, slamming the front door behind him. The two men stared at each other, silently sizing each other up. But for what? Sandow happened to glance down and his brows drew together in a frown. Clutched in Austin's right hand was a butterfly knife covered in thick drying blood. Damien lunged forward without thinking and yanked Austin up to his toes by his collar.

"What have you DONE!" bellowed Sandow, totally livid, eyes wide.

Austin glared at his former partner silently but refused to speak. Sandow shook the man and when he still didn't respond he let go of his collar to slap him. The slap turned Austin's head to the side but he remained silent. Sandow slapped him again and again, each hit growing harder and harder. Deciding he'd had enough Austin shoved Damien away from him, but the taller man still had a grip on his coat and both men toppled over the coffee table onto the floor.

Sandow found himself straddling Aries waist and once again his hands gripped the man's collar, shaking him so hard that his head bounced off the hardwood floor. "What did you do! What the  _fuck_  did you do?!"

"I killed a dog okay!" exploded Austin finally. "I killed a motherfucking dog! Fuck Damien!"

Sandow searched his eyes a moment before standing and walking towards the fireplace and leaning against it. When he heard Austin pick himself up off the floor he sighed deeply.

"Austin… What you saw… Everything that happened yesterday… It was all me. No one is to blame but me. I don't want you to blame Cody or to be upset with Octavia. If you want to be angry at someone, it needs to be me."

Slowly Damien turned around and gave Austin eye contact. The shorter man's face had softened a bit, not just at Sandow's confession but also at the thought of the young married couple he'd murdered last night along with their dog and how Sandow hadn't seen through his lie.

"Okay Damien… Okay…" acquiesced Austin. He dropped the bloody knife on the floor and stalked down the hall to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. After his shower, Austin left the bathroom with a towel around his waist and his dirty clothes in his hand. He walked into the room and shut the door, dropping the dirty clothes on the floor. He was about to climb into bed when he noticed Octavia was in his bed. She was lying on her side, watching him. She sat up and Austin breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that she was wearing a silk nightgown. If she had been nude he would have flipped out and destroyed her without a second thought.

Austin walked to the bed and climbed in behind her, wrapping one arm around her waist and grabbing her throat with the other. Octavia took in a deep breath and held it, waiting to see what he would do. Austin merely stroked her throat, bringing her closer to him.

"I'm going to forget what I saw last night 'Tavia," Aries whispered in her ear. "But from now on, you're mine. Do you understand?"

Octavia nodded both a little afraid and relieved. "I understand." Then attempting to further placate the man she added, "I'm so sorry about what happened last night. I wasn't sure about your feelings for me and I just got caught up honey…"

"Shhh…" admonished Austin quietly. He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek while he continued to stroke her throat, meant more to soothe himself rather than her. "I don't care. I don't care… You're fucking mine now."

 


	43. Red Right Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Red Right Hand" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds for this chapter

At dusk Sandow set about rousing Cody and Austin for the kill. Nobody had been down to the basement since yesterday afternoon so Sandow admittedly was a bit curious about Orton's condition, not that it would matter for much longer.

After Sandow had left their bedroom, Austin sat up, suddenly wide awake. He stared down at the comforter, trying to sort his thoughts. He only had fragments of memory from the night before, some big and some small. Aries frowned as remembered screams rang through his head. He had killed last night; a couple and their dog. But did he clean up after it? Did he erase his existence from the scene? He honestly couldn't remember. He had been so drunk and so full of rage that his entire memory from last night was like trying to see through a red mist.

That was worrisome, but Austin chose to put it out of his mind for now. He watched with some amusement as Octavia groaned and stretched. Instantly she curled back in on herself and groaned some more.

"Ugh… Oh god… I'm going to put a stew on for dinner and then I'm headed straight for the tub," she said attempting to stretch once more.

Austin's brows drew together in a frown. "What the fuck for? You didn't shower before you got in my bed last night?!"

Octavia turned to him, annoyed. "Of course I did!" After a moment she sighed, allowing her head to fall back on the pillow. "But I'm very sore honey. Like  _incredibly_ sore. I don't think I've ever been this sore before. You get that, right?"

Austin's expression lightened and he leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Yeah… I get it." With that said Aries got out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweat pants and gym shoes, opting to remain shirtless before leaving the room. In the hallway he nearly bumped into Cody Rhodes who was just leaving his room as well. Aries was hardly able to prevent the snarl that left his lips when his shoulder brushed Cody's arm.

Cody sighed deeply but kept walking. He knew that Austin was upset and figured it simply had to do with the threesome involving Octavia last night. Cody had no clue that Austin's animosity towards him ran much deeper than that and Sandow hadn't bothered to set him straight either.

As they made their way down into the basement, right away Cody noticed the sharp scent of urine and feces. In their haste to get upstairs yesterday afternoon, they'd forgotten to release the crank on Randy and he hadn't been able to reach the toilet to relieve himself.

Sandow, wearing a pair of well worn blue jeans with brown moccasin like shoes and a dark blue t-shirt, was standing in front of Orton. The Viper was on the ground, cupping his mangled manhood protectively in his hands while he leaned as far back as the chain would allow. When he saw Cody and Aries round the post, his eyes widened, instantly terrified of what was to come.

Aries could see that the two men had put in some serious work on Orton yesterday and he couldn't help but nod appreciatively at the sight. Just looking at all the damage, all the scars and burns, the cuts and wounds that were still oozing was enough to make Austin's cock harden. He didn't even bother trying to hide his arousal which caused Damien to shoot a glare in his direction.

Choosing to ignore Austin for the moment the older man turned his attention back to Orton.

"This is where you belong Orton," he said with the barest of smiles. "On the ground, at my feet. Chained and broken, like the animal you are."

Cody walked up next to Sandow and put his hands on his hips. "How does it feel?"

Randy licked his dry cracked lips nervously, truly afraid to give his former friend eye contact but doing so anyway. "What? How does what feel?"

"How does it feel to be used? To be hurt, degraded and betrayed so thoroughly by someone you thought you could trust?" Cody squatted down before Randy so he could look the older man in the eyes. "How does it feel to know you won't  _ever_  be able to do it again?"

Randy looked at Cody and opened his mouth like he wanted to respond before closing it again. Cody snorted and stood up, taking his place beside his partner.

"Austin? If you would pick up our tools on the bottom step please?" asked Sandow without taking his eyes off of Orton.

Aries looked down and saw three butterfly knives, already flipped open and ready to use and picked them up. One of them he recognized as the knife he'd dropped in the living room early this morning after his tussle with Damien. His former partner had cleaned it for him and it gleamed in the dull light of basement. With a grin on his lips, Aries handed off the two remaining blades, one to Cody and one to Damien. One by one the three men began circling Randy Orton.

The Viper trembled, knowing what was coming but afraid all the same. "Please…" he whispered hating how small and weak he sounded. "Please just fucking do it already!"

Cody fell on Randy first, jamming his knife between the other man's ribs beneath his left pec, puncturing his lung. Sandow descended next and his blade found its way in Orton's ribs under his right pec, a mirror image of Cody's stab wound. Aries fell on Randy last and jammed his knife into The Viper's side, shredding the man's liver. They all stayed that way for a while, crouched over the man, watching as the light dimmed before completely dying out in Randy's eyes.

He was gone.

Slowly the three men stood up and watched the blood form a ruby pool beneath Randy Orton's rapidly cooling body.

Cody's breath hitched in his throat as he stared down at his rapist and former best friend. He wanted to laugh; he wanted to cry but could only stand there. When he felt Damien's arms wrap around him, only then could Cody tear his gaze away from the sight on the floor.

"It's okay Cody, it's okay," whispered the older man in his ear. "It's over now. It's done." Sandow guided Cody over to the stairs and forced him to sit down. He decided to give Cody a few minutes to gather his thoughts while he and Aries began the clean up.

Upstairs in the bathroom Octavia reclined in the tub, just thinking. She had no idea what the future held for her and Austin. She had heard some of the argument between Damien and Austin this morning and it concerned her. From the start of their strange relationship she'd found him attractive and charming but at times cold and aloof. And of course dangerous. No, she couldn't forget  _that_. But on the same token, Austin was an associate of Damien and of Cody which had to make them dangerous as well.

Octavia sighed before sinking further into the warm and fragrant water.  _"I hope I can handle being with him," she thought to herself. "It probably won't end well for me if I can't."_


	44. Her And Him, You And Me

The next morning Octavia stood at the front door of the cabin talking with Cody and Damien while holding the carrier that held her new pet snake which had for the better part of two days stayed in the closet. Austin was loading up the jeep with their luggage and other belongings, whistling to himself, cheerful for the first time in over twenty-four hours.

"Octavia, I don't know how I can thank you for all your help," said Damien, bringing her to him for a hug so tight that had to put the carrier down.

"Oh I think you thanked me repeatedly already," she said with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. Both Cody and Damien laughed with her, the mind numbing sex never too far from their thoughts.

Cody stepped in to hug Octavia once Sandow released her. "I'm going to miss you Octavia," said the younger man with a sad smile.

Octavia frowned when he pulled away from her. "What is with you two? Are we not going to see each other again?"

She frowned harder when Damien and Cody glanced at each other worriedly.

Seeing that Austin was still securing their luggage, Damien leaned into her and spoke quickly. "Octavia… I've known Austin for a long time. Few care as intensely as he does about other people. So intensely in fact that he cannot handle disappointment. Not in a rational manner at least."

"Just be careful," interrupted Cody, earning him an exasperated sigh from his partner. "Know that one day you may just have to get out. To get away from him."

Octavia felt a chill go down her spine. "How will I know?"

Damien glanced towards the jeep before giving his attention back to the stripper. "His eyes. Trust me, you'll know. And no amount of talking will fix whatever you perceive to be broken. Just leave. Sneak away and leave no trace of where you've gone."

Octavia chewed on her lip nervously, having some serious doubts about leaving with Austin. Ultimately though, she decided to stick it out for as long as she could and was able to give the man a genuine smile when he came up the front porch steps.

"All set 'Tavia?" asked Aries. He was beaming and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm ready Austin." And then to Rhodes and Sandow, "Goodbye again gentlemen." She started to head down the steps and then thought better of it before turning to Cody and throwing her arms around his neck.

"I hope you were able to put those demons to rest," she whispered in his ear. In response Cody kissed her cheek, nodding slowly.

Octavia smiled and picked up the carrier before turning to flounce down the steps. She waved to the two men as she climbed into the passenger seat of the jeep.

Austin grinned wryly at the two men in front of him.

"Well… it's been fucking fun," started Aries. "But it's time for me, hell for us, to move the fuck on. Damien? Don't wait another six goddamn years to give me a call man."

Sandow shrugged noncommittally but gave Aries a one armed hug anyway. Austin pursed his lips together before sticking his hand out to Cody. The younger man stared at him a moment finally shaking the man's hand.

"Later fellas," said Austin. He walked back to the jeep and climbed into the driver's seat. The jeep pulled off and continued down the driveway and out of sight.

An hour later found Rhodes Scholars on the highway as well, on the way to meet their coworkers at the next city on the WWE tour.

Cody was in the passenger seat, staring out the window, not really paying attention to the passing scenery. Sandow drove, lost in his own thoughts as well. In spite of all the difficulties and near fatal mistakes, ultimately the demise of Randy Orton had been the most well thought out and satisfying kill he'd ever taken part in. Damien didn't have to wonder if Cody felt the same way when the younger man put a hand on his knee and said, "Thank you Damien."

What Sandow saw shining in his partner's eyes made his chest tight but not unpleasantly so. He squeezed Cody's hand comfortingly in response before turning his attention back to the road.

Both of their Shadows were sated for now. But how long would that last? In the end it didn't matter. They had each other and together they would hunt and kill and feed that dark glorious need. Nothing could make them stop.


End file.
